


Don't Fear, It's Just The Bullets, Bouncing Off My Helmet

by Velocity_Owl87



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Amputation, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bounty Hunters, Dubious Morality, Escape, Government Agencies, Government Experimentation, Hopeful Ending, Human Experimentation, Illegal Activities, Implied Mpreg, Introspection, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mental Instability, Multi, Muteness, Mutilation, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Permanent Injury, Psychic Abilities, Recovery, Strangers to Lovers, Trauma, Unethical Experimentation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-10-22 04:59:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10690221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocity_Owl87/pseuds/Velocity_Owl87
Summary: Sergio was just supposed to go in, get the goods and take off.Except that he ran into two men that had been clearly used as test subjects in unethical ways and despite all he was, there was no way he would leave them there. Even when they showed him that they weren't as human as he thought that they were when they destroyed the facility, leaving no one behind.Now Sergio's gotta deliver the goods, get his payout and figure out what to do with iker and Fernando.What he hadn't counted on was Iker and Fernando having their own plans for him as well as three other agencies and the owner of the facility they torched.It was going to be a long two weeks for Sergio. That was unless he was offed first.





	1. It's just the bullets and they're coming near

**Author's Note:**

> So this was partly inspired by watching "Legion" and needing a massive escape from the shitstorm that was my work last week.  
> I swear I haven't the slightest as to why testing facilities, spies and shadowy government agencies happened.  
> Title is from Hawksley Workman's "Bullets"

_Spain, Outskirts of Madrid. 02.30 am_

_“I’m just a bounty hunter. I’m not a fucking hero. I’m just a bounty hunter. I’m not a fucking hero nor am I even that nice. So how the hell did I end up with two hostages on top of a bounty? I’m just a fucking bounty hunter!!”_

Sergio kept repeating this through his head as he ducked the hail of bullets that had been aimed his way. This was the third time and he was getting pretty fucking pissed off. His employers had neglected to mention that the facility was going to be heavily guarded. He made a mental note to ask for another ten percent on top of his usual fee. He wasn’t too fond of getting shot at when he was retrieving stolen property.

They had also failed to mention that he’d be coming across live test subjects when he’d be retrieving the bounty. They also didn’t specify what he was supposed to do when he came across the only two that had survived, clinging to each other as they watched him rush past their cage as he went to retrieve his goal and then doubled back to shoot the locks open and pull them out of the cage that they had been in.

He had yanked them to his feet and run to the exit.

Only to get ambushed by the first wave of guards.

He had made short work of them, simply throwing a grenade at the tight cluster had worked wonders, despite the noise and debris of body parts and gouts of blood coating the place right after. He forced himself to not think about that as he dragged the two lab rats behind him and to an exit now that the one he had used previously was covered in gore and looked and smelled like a charnel house.

He looked over his shoulder to his new buddies. One had dark, dark hair, eyes,and sharp cheekbones with a strong jaw. He was missing one of his eyes, it looked like it had been gouged out at some point, leaving nothing but scar tissue down what should have still been a handsome face instead of the ruin that was left behind.  He was the one that was less timid and more willing to use the claws they had fitted him out with than the one with the mousy brown hair and babyish face with a sharp chin. He had both eyes, but Sergio was sure he couldn’t speak. He hadn't heard a peep out of him the entire time they had been running. The still pink scar around his neck was probably the reason for that last handicap.

The dark haired one kept his hand locked onto the mousy one's wrist when he wasn’t fighting and dragged him along and also, Sergio would have sworn that both of them were having silent conversations with each other. Maybe it was his imagination, but he was sure that at one point he had seen their eyes flash green right before the dark haired one went ahead and found them another exit.

Unfortunately, the guards in that part of the facility had already been alerted and they were currently ducking bullets and hiding behind pallets and parked trucks. It looked like a sick version of an obstacle course and Sergio cursed himself for being careful and parking his land rover in the woods, rather than near the facility.

With all the shooting going on, he wasn’t sure if they would be able to make it. He cursed and took a couple of shots, hitting some, but not enough. Looking up, he saw that they were crouched next to a truck. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the make. Ford. Shitty, but he could probably hotwire in moments, no problem.

He shot off the lock and yanked the door open. He looked behind him and caught the dark eyed guy’s gaze.

Sergio jerked his head in the direction of the door, wordlessly conveying what he wanted them to do. The guy nodded once and yanked his baby-faced companion up into the truck before sliding in behind him. The entire process was over before Sergio could process it.

Just like when he found himself behind the wheel and bullets still hitting the side of the door.

“Can you drive?”

Sergio started at the low voice. He hadn’t expected the guy to speak, since his companion was silent and huddling into him now that they were relatively safe.

“Yeah. Can you shoot a gun while I get it running?”

The guy smirked, making his face look gruesome with the scar tissue bunching up on one side.

“Nando here can do one better.”

Sergio only had time to register that Nando was the silent one before Nando looked at his companion, nodded, opened the truck door and climbed out.

“Hey! What the fuck is he-”

“Nevermind Nando. He knows what he’s doing. I need you to get this truck started and fast! Go!”

Sergio would later swear that it felt like he was getting an irresistible command he couldn’t disobey, since he dropped his complaints and got to work in hotwiring the truck in record time despite not really having the impulse to do it before. He had just gotten the engine to turn when a deafening explosion rolled through the entire compound, coupled with shrieks of agony before Nando slipped back into the truck, grinning widely and holding out his hand for a high five from his companion.

“Well done, Nando. I’m sure Sergio here will appreciate the clear way out now.”

Sergio stared at them open mouthed before Nando leaned over and gestured for him to drive.

“Yeah, Yeah, pushy couple of guys...Hey, what the-”

The dark haired man rolled his one eye as he tugged the seatbelt over him and nodded to Nando to do the same.

“It’s Iker, Sergio, and I’ll explain everything after we’re safe. Now can you please get us the fuck out of here already? We’re tempting fate as it is.”

Sergio snorted, but did as he was told by Iker. He was right. They had to get out before things went even worse.

He just hoped that he could slip under the radar after all of that was said and done and he could find Nando and Iker’s families.

There was no room in his life for people like them. He worked best alone and if he was honest, responsibility was not his forte and they were damaged enough. They needed help and some TLC and he was the last person to give it.

Iker snorted and muttered something too low for him to hear, making Sergio snap to attention and focus on the road. He had a feeling that Iker had more than the visible modifications to contend with and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to explore them at that time.

~*~*~*~*~

_“He’s a bit of a flake, isn’t he?”_

Nando asked, making Iker look out the window lest Sergio see the smirk that crept up on his face at Nando’s question.

He kind of liked the dorky thief that had stumbled into the Cortes Facility, since he hadn’t hesitated to smash the locks of their cages the moment he had realised that they were human and alive. He also hadn’t thought twice about breaking them out, even if he did start a bit at their modifications, or in his case, the mutilation he’d undergone.

_“Yeah, but he’s not a prick, so it balances out. He got us out. He’s even concerned about us. Wants to find our families and get some help.”_

Nando laughed bitterly.

_“As if that’s going to happen.”_

Iker tried to not wince at the observation. In Nando’s case, it was far too much of a painful truth. They had, after all, been the ones to sell him out. Iker hoped that he had a family left to come back to, but he was sure that wasn’t going to be the case. It had been two years since he was taken off the streets of Madrid. It would be sort of foolish to hope that they would still be waiting for him. And if they were, would they accept him with how changed he was?

Not to mention how fucked up he and Nando were? He was fully aware that he wasn’t the same man that had been dumped off in that facility. Nando too. They had lives before all of this and had been different men as well. If what he got from Sergio’s mind was true, they’d have to adjust to being on the outside again, but with nothing this time.

Not even this flaky, long haired bounty hunter who had stumbled into more than he had ever expected to.

Nando raised an eyebrow at Iker. He wasn’t as good as Iker was with the extra additions, but he could get his point across. He had to.

_“Would he be useful in the long term? Is that what you’re thinking?”_

Nando asked him, his eyes narrowed as he too, weighed the pros and cons that Iker had been wrestling with the moment that he had decided to help him find a way out of the facility.

He slowly closed his good eye, making Nando grin.

_“I knew you’d come around. He’s too cute to resist.”_

Iker raised an eyebrow at that, making Nando make that weird hissing noise that he had been left with after they had been finished with them. It made Sergio start a bit, but he didn’t say anything. He only shook his head at it and kept driving like a madman to leave the carnage they had created behind.

_“He’s not weirded out, is he?”_

Nando queried in a slightly worried tone.

Iker made a low humming noise and concentrated on listening to Sergio’s thoughts. It was a bit harder to do so when he wasn’t frantic and running on pure adrenaline. He was naturally a shielder and it made Iker have to work a bit to dig anything out of him now that he was broadcasting everything that he felt.

It was muddled, but he finally pushed through the obstacles and found that Sergio was far from being put off by Nando’s reaction. Rather, he was disgusted that someone had mutilated him to the point of muteness. That someone had taken Iker’s eye out and given them claws and lord knew what else that he hadn’t seen yet. He was angry that anyone had that much power to do that to innocent human beings and he was glad that facility didn’t exist any longer, even if it was at the expense of so many lives lost.

Sergio only killed as a last measure and he hadn’t enjoyed any of the carnage that took place that night. Yet the more that he found out what they had done to Iker and Nando, the less he gave a fuck about all those lives lost and destroyed. They hadn’t cared when Iker and Nando and who knew who else had been forced to go through whatever hellish shit those bastards did there.

He feels bad for them, Iker realised. Bad that he couldn’t have helped them sooner and sad that they had to go through all of that before he got them out. He wondered what Iker looked like before and what Nando sounded like. That’s all.

“ _He feels bad for us and wished that he knew us before they did this to us. He wishes he could have heard your voice and seen me before they had carved up my face.”_

Nando’s face softened at the admission once Iker had stopped listening to the faint murmur of Sergio’s thoughts.

Nando made a small noise of satisfaction and nodded to Iker.

_“We’re not going to let him go. We can’t afford to. Even though he may have other plans.”_

Iker shook his head, knowing exactly what Nando was getting at.

_“I doubt we’ll need to do that, if I’m honest. He’s hooked. Despite what lies he’s going to tell himself. He’s not going to let us go. Not any longer. He’s with us now.”_

Nando smiled happily then and Iker’s heart thudded in his chest with what felt like hope for the first time in years.

He just hoped that they would finally have a shot at some kind of future after the hell that they had been through those past years.

And he hoped that he was right in putting all of his hopes into a bounty hunter that had no idea what he had stumbled upon.

_“We’re gonna keep him safe. Stop worrying.”_

Iker bit his lip and turned to look at Nando.

_“It’s my nature. Besides, he is a flake. Of course we gotta keep him safe.”_

Nando laughed again, making Sergio only shake his head and go faster.

~*~*~*~*

Steven was looking over the blueprints of one of the facilities when Suarez rushed into the boardroom.

“El Cortes Facility was just destroyed.”

Steven looked up from the blueprints at that and schooled himself to not show surprise at the news.

“Any survivors?”

Suarez shook his head.

“None. It looked like a slaughterhouse. Just blood, viscera, and body parts everywhere.”

Steven forced himself to not react anyway to it, despite feeling a small twinge of satisfaction at hearing that it had been destroyed. It felt like vindication hearing that. He made a mental note to let Xabi know. Later, of course.

They needed to tie up any loose threads if there were any to take care of.

“What do Jesus and Silva think?”

Suarez shrugged.

“They’ll give us an answer when they finish going through the security footage. They do know it wasn’t a hit though. It was more of a crime of convenience, really.”

Steven nodded. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but at this time, it would have to do.

“Tell them to search the inventory. If it’s a crime of convenience, surely something would be missing.”

Suarez nodded and left him with his thoughts.

Steven didn't even register him leaving. His thoughts were elsewhere and hope began to uncurl in his chest like it hadn’t in years.

He had to contact Beckham and Iniesta now. They would know if any other facilities were targeted and then he could formulate an actual plan.

~*~*~*~*~

Cristiano took the slip of paper from Mesut’s hand, nodding his thanks to his twitchy aide before reading it.

_“Los Cortes destroyed. Plans and diamonds retrieved. What next?”_

Cristiano flashed a grin before crumpling the paper.

“Is he still here?”

Mesut nodded. “He’s not alone though.”

Cristiano thought it over and shrugged.

_“Send them in. We’ll figure something out.”_


	2. It's The Moment of Truth and the Moment to Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klopp and the Germans make their move onto Sergio, while Sergio goes to his fence, Kaka. While he's there, he reveals information that Kaka knows Cris and the others need to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I wrote this chapter, I realised that there probably would be more and more characters showing up. More than I had outlined. So there will be cameos from many others that may be in different countries or leagues. It will also veer heavily into shady dealings and a bit of magical realism and sort of urban legendy type territory.
> 
> Title is from 30 Seconds to Mars "This is War"

_Dortmund, Germany_

Klopp was sitting in his office, pen in hand as he scanned the reports that Mats had compiled in regards to their operations. Despite being a field operative handler, he did occasionally have to read reports about expenditures and what their intelligence branch had found in regards to the facilities.

So far, they hadn’t expanded that much within Germany after he and a few of the other generations had escaped and put an end to them. But they were still there and he worked tirelessly to destroy them.

He growled under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose when he started to smell the faint stirrings of smoke in his office. Despite most of it being fireproofed, he had gotten the hint loud and clear that management was getting annoyed at having to replace his furniture and computers twice a year. He had managed to control his temper a bit more in recent years, but whenever he thought about Weissschloss…

He forced himself to not think about it there. He only just had managed to deal with the nightmares last year. That was the last place that he wanted to revisit voluntarily. He chewed on his lip and scrubbed a hand over his tired face, brushing against the stubble that covered it. He made a mental note to actually shave soon before he got back to the reports and forced the old demons back into their cages.

He had work to do. Beckham had some intriguing leads he wanted to look at and cross-check with what Benedikt had dug up and Mats had synthesized and compiled. Probably not thoroughly, since he knew that Mats was itching to go into the field. And Klopp wasn’t letting him until he got his powers under control, something that had taken him more years than he cared to admit. But until that happened, they didn’t need to announce their activities to the rest of the world.

He had been musing on the last big sting operation when Benedikt & Mats burst into his office.

He put the sheaf of paperwork down and looked at them with a raised eyebrow. He had rescued them from Weissschloss. They knew what his expectations and rules and exceptions were. They also knew that they had to have a damned good excuse for barging in without warning.

“The Cortes just went up in flames. Some bounty hunter named Ramos was responsible!”

Klopp stood up, paperwork slipping out of his hands when he heard the news.

Mats noticed it and quickly jumped in to explain the bomb that Ben had just dropped onto their director.

“We just go the news. It happened like maybe ten hours ago? We don’t know if it was just him, or if he had help. Last known location was on the road to Madrid, no doubt to meet his fence or Ronaldo.”

Klopp nodded and grabbed his wallet, keys and gun. He gave both of them appraising looks, debating whether he should have them on the field so soon, but  the driving need to get answers overrode his usual cautiousness. He hoped that he had trained them well enough and that the property damage wouldn’t be _too_ extensive.

“Both of you grab your gear. Gomez and Gotze will man the fort. We need to get to Ramos before anyone has a chance to bump him off. Let’s go.”

~*~*~*~*~

Kaka was half asleep and heading to the bathroom when the frantic knocking on the front door made him switch directions. He made his way slowly to the front door and fiddled with what felt like too many locks. Maybe he was a bit paranoid, but he could never be too careful, considering who he dealt with on a daily basis. He was a middle man, but it didn't mean that he was untouchable in the shadowy world he inhabited.

He grabbed the police baton he kept on top of the shelving unit near the door and flung it open to reveal Sergio Ramos in his usual tactical gear with two inmates in faded dark blue jumpsuits flanking him. They were silent as they took in Kaka and no doubt everything else in the room. Even if the dark haired one only had one eye, Kaka was sure he had taken everything else in. He recalled that was the first thing that they changed in everyone.

He tightened his grip on the baton, wondering if they also had the speed that they had augmented in him when he felt the slight caress of a telepath brush against him mind. He pushed back, not caring if he hurt the other telepath and glared at him.

He jerked his head back and looked at the dark haired inmate, who looked at him in puzzlement and surprise.

“Don’t. I’m not your enemy here. You can’t blame me for being careful.”

He told him, making him look slightly embarrassed at being caught before taking a deep breath and nodding.

“Sorry. It’s just habit.”

Kaka nodded. “I know. Just don’t do it again. I’m Kaka. Make yourselves at home while I deal with Sergio.”

The dark haired one nodeed. “I’m in Iker and this Fernando. He prefers Nando and he’s mute and a telepath. Like me and like you?”

Kaka nodded his confirmation. “Not a psi level, but good enough to know when someone’s fucking with my head.”

Iker and Nando looked at each other and then at him.

_“Message received. We meant no harm. You can never be too careful.”_

A different voice spoke and he guessed it was Nando.

_“I know. I understand. We all have that tendency to be overly cautious.”_

Kaka assured him, feeling a bit lighter when Nando’s face lit up just a bit and the soft scent of grass appeared. The soft scent made Iker eyes also go from dull, muddy brown to a shiny brown in what Kaka guessed was their normal state. The faint scent of balsam permeated the air right after and it was all that Kaka could do not chirp and cuddle the other Omegas in the room.

Maybe he was too much of a softy, but he couldn’t be too blase at seeing that small bit of change in Nando and Iker. Not when he was still dealing with his own scars from five years back. It had taken him a hell of a lot longer than that to be pleased or to smile or to even get his scent to come back. A scent that Cris had likened to powdered butter cookies.

He cleared his throat and gave them a closer look as he did so, taking in details that he may have missed the first time that he took notice of them.

They looked as badly scarred as he and the others that had escaped from the facilities in the south. Nando would probably never be independent ever again. Kaka sighed heavily and pushed the morose thoughts away. Even if it was true, there was no point in dwelling on it. They had said the same thing about him and Mesut.

Iker and Nando looked at each other, but said nothing as they waited for Kaka to finish, but were interrupted by Sergio.

“You done intimidating the guests?”

Kaka grinned at that, the awkward moment broken. They both knew that he couldn’t be intimidating if he tried. It was a long standing joke between them ever since they had first met when he was just setting up his fencing slash middleman business between bounty hunters like Sergio and the opposition fighters who shut down the facilities that mutilated innocent people for a profit.

“I wouldn’t have to if they stayed in their heads. So what’s the story? Or can you even spill?”

Kaka asked as he put the baton away and led them towards the kitchen, where he did most of his business. Carefully kept binders and ledgers were stacked on one side of the rectangular table, as well as a scratchpad and a laptop with a printer attached to it. It was all fairly neat and orderly and Kaka wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sergio went directly to the table and laid the suitcase down before turning to Iker and Nando.

“I doubt you guys have either had a proper shower or a meal. Why don’t you guys get sorted out with that? Kaka, do you think that would be doable before we get to business?”

Sergio asked, making Kaka want to smack him for being so blatantly obvious at exploiting his Omega instincts in needing to take care of others. Typical of an Alpha, just like how Cris had palmed off Mesut when they had pulled him out of the facility that had nearly completely broken him. He suppressed the annoyance and told the Omegas to follow him down the hall to the large and bright bathroom.

“Towels are in that cupboard. Leave those suits here. I have clean clothes in that drawer right there. Take your time and no, it’s not a ploy to leave you out of whatever it is that Sergio wants to discuss. You two really need to get sorted out and clean.”

Kaka explained, reciting the spiel almost by rote, with how often he had had to say it others that had landed in his house. He made a mental note to ask Cris for an increase in the stipend he received the next time that they would meet up. It was only fair, since he was more or less also running a halfway house for escapees.

Iker laughed softly and Nando only raised an eyebrow as they took in the shower and opened and closed the drawers and cupboards that Kaka had pointed out.

“We’ll still be in the kitchen when you’re done. I’ll leave you to it, alright?”

They nodded and Kaka left after gently closing the door behind him.

“They’re all settled. So what the hell have you done, Ramos?”

Kaka asked, plunking himself down in his chair and reaching for the suitcase that was sitting on the table.

“You tell me. Cris sent me in blind. I was just supposed to grab the blueprints and the diamonds. Finding Iker and Nando was pleasant surprise. Destroying that place was just a bonus. So what the hell is going on?”

Kaka chewed on his lip as he fiddled with the latches of the suitcase. The lid sprang open to reveal several tubes of rolled up blueprints and a rectangular partition full of diamonds that Kaka knew were easily worth at least fifteen million. Although eye catching, the blueprints were what he was more interested in.

Hauling the tubes out gingerly, he closed the suitcase and latched it shut. Even if the diamonds weren’t his main concern, he still had to be careful. After all, they would fund some of the areas the government couldn’t.

“That place does illegal modifications to people. Mostly promising athletes. Haven’t you noticed that some rising young player gets some press and then disappears? Happens regularly every five years?”

Sergio chewed on his lip. He had been one of those promising players until the car accident had torn his family apart and forced him to abandon his dreams for a steady day job and then later, freelance gigs as a bounty hunter and retriever. It didn’t hurt as much as it had back when he was younger to think about what could have been, but he couldn’t say he had completely made his peace with that missed opportunity.

He hadn’t made it too far into the system, but he did recall playing alongside a boy with striking blue eyes and some really super religious, churchy name. And then...Nothing. He remembered some dark haired goalkeeper from Mostoles, but he too had faded out and Sergio, like everyone else, had assumed he had fizzled out. He was an Omega, if Sergio recalled correctly and that was why it hadn’t really been a surprise that the goalkeeper had fallen off the radar. Omegas aren't exactly abundant in the major leagues.

That had been the one that stuck with Sergio the longest, for some reason. That keeper had been good for an Omega. He had tried to follow up on what had happened, but life had gotten in the way. Other things had become more important and soon,it was just some teenage memory. Until now.

Especially since Iker had  _something_ similar to that goalkeeper from Mostoles. He shrugged it off, since it was too much of a coincidence. Maybe he'd ask Kaka later once everything calmed down. Until then, it didn't matter. Not when he needed to sort things out in front of him.

 He guessed that there probably were more, now that he thought about it. He looked at Kaka, who nodded tersely in confirmation.

“Why do they do it? It’s not like they’re really improving them. More like hurting them irreparably. Look at those two. Nando has no voice and Iker’s eye is gone. What were they trying to do to them?”

“Turn them into weapons and sell them to the highest bidder, that’s what. They’ve had enough successes that it hasn’t stopped them from trying again and again. We’ve tried to destroy the facilities, but they keep springing up, These plans should give us a bigger advantage in that war. That’s why Cris risked sending you, a normal guy, into the place.”

Sergio blinked at that statement.

“What do you mean, normal guy?”

“Exactly that. Cris, me, those two, Mesut. We all were subject to those facilities at one point or another.”

Sergio looked as if he had been turned to stone after that information.

“You’re telling me all of you are some kinds of lab rats with what? Superpowers?”

Kaka shifted on his feet as he popped open the tubes and pulled out the blueprints.

“Enhancements. We’re not the X-men, if that’s what you’re thinking. Some of us have more stamina. Or speed. Or age slower. Or have control over technology. Or have psychic abilities.”

Sergio felt a slight chill at the last part.

Kaka looked up from the blueprints and nodded.

“Yeah. Your two new friends there. They’re telepaths. Like me.”

Sergio’s mouth fell open at that and he scrubbed his face with his hands.

“Explains why I was doing stuff even before I thought of it. Or why Nando got us out without me really telling him to do stuff.”

It was Kaka’s turn to be surprised.

“Wait...Hold up. What did Nando do?”

Sergio grinned mirthlessly at his friend.

“He blew the place to pieces.”

Kaka went white at the news and let the blueprints slip from his hands as he dug into his pocket for his mobile.

“I’m going to give you half an hour to get cleaned up and get some food in you before we go see Cris. Would that be enough time?”

Sergio bit back the retort and nodded. He had already wasted enough time driving to Kaka’s and he just wanted to sleep and forget the night. The sooner he got this over and done with, the better.

Kaka nodded as he texted Mesut and then closed his eyes.

_“Iker? Nando? We need you to be ready to go in half an hour. Our friend Mesut is coming. He’s like us and he might be able to help you. Does that work for you?”_

He waited for a bit before he heard them.

_“Yeah. I guess. Not like we have many options or friends other than Sese.”_

Kaka made a note of that. It looked like they had gotten attached fairly quickly to Sergio.

It was a good sign, but only if Sergio wanted the responsibility.

Something he hoped that Sergio would want after being alone for so long.

He opened his eyes and looked at Sergio, who was fiddling with his long hair with nervous fingers.

“I think they’re out of the shower. Go get sorted and I’ll take it from here.”

Sergio nodded and headed to the second shower in Kaka’s bedroom to do as he was told, leaving Kaka to ponder this new development.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaka-He is exactly what he says he is: A middleman. I needed someone to bridge the world of the tough fighters and the normal world, so he made sense to be that for this story.  
> Klopp and the Germans-They do have their own reasons for fighting and more of his past will be covered as the story goes on. He has more or less bounced back better than most others that were caught up in that facility system. He's also a tactician and to me, embodies that grizzled soldier type that is needed to get dirty jobs done.  
> Sergio, Iker, and Nando-The spotlight will go back onto them soon. There's a bond starting there, but there's nothing for certain between them as of now.


	3. With These Boys, We Don't Share Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More players and motives are introduced and Sergio gets a surprise that he hadn't bet on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pieces are more or less falling into place here and I don't have much to say about this only that we get more glimpses into the motives of the players, some side hurt/comfort and Sergio realising he's in way over his head. Maybe next chapter will have romance? This was more of a plot heavy chapter.  
> Title is from Hawksley Workman's "Bullets"

 

The room was dimmed when Steve entered it, making give a sigh of relief. If it had been completely dark, he would have worried. It didn’t matter to him, since he could see more than the normal human spectrum with what they had done to his eyes.

It just meant that Xabi was having a better day than usual.

He breathed deeply before he went even further into the room towards the hospital bed where Xabi lay on his side, facing the door. It was still early in the day and Xabi looked like he was dozing, his eyelids twitching at no doubt whatever dream he was having at the time. His face was calm and relaxed, the scars running from his eyes not as raw and livid looking as in other days.

The blanket was pulled up to his chin, his hands resting right below his chin. His fingers weren’t curled up tightly, meaning it wasn’t nightmares and it pained Steven for having to wake him up if he was sleeping well. Restful sleep wasn’t something that visited both of them often and even with Xabi’s powers, he wanted to say goodbye.

Jesus and David had found even more information from their digging, but it was only a part of the puzzle. They needed whatever it was that Sergio had found and would no doubt be taking to Cris. He was with Kaka, as far as Jesus and David had discerned. Meaning he had no choice but to go to Spain and suss them out.

He had contacted Beckham of his plans and had told David Silva to get ready to go. He would have brought Suarez, but he was still far too volatile to be let loose and Steve didn’t dare risk getting into an altercation because the man couldn’t control his lupine impulses. No.

Even though Jesus would be less effective for a few days, Steve decided that it would be for the best to bring David Silva along. Besides, he knew that Mesut was a fairly decent hacker and would be able to complement Silva’s skills. Problem solved.

He pushed those concerns aside and focused on Xabi, whose silvery eyes opened up and took a bit of time to focus before he smiled. Steve sighed in relief at the lucidity he saw in them. It was a good day then.

“You’re early today. Did something happen?”

Xabi asked as he pushed himself up into a sitting position to see his mate better. Steve hummed an affirmative.

“Remember the plans that you told us Ramos would find along with Iker and Fernando? They’ve been found, but they’re incomplete. I have to go and match up what they have to what we have so we can find where they put Hendo and Lallana.”

Steve explained slowly and carefully. If he spoke too fast, Xabi wouldn’t find the clues that would lead to insights. Or worse, he’d get lost in the tangled and broken wiring of his own mind and have a hard time emerging once again. That was the last thing that they needed. Especially now with what they had recently found out.

Xabi nodded and closed his eyes, running his hands though the hair that he’d stubbornly kept long. He wouldn’t let anyone cut it, but he would let Steve help him wash it. Whatever they had done to increase his powers had hindered his mobility even more than the altercation with that son of a bitch had and Steve still held out hope they could find a strong enough telepath to finally unlock and untangle all of the passageways that had been rerouted in Xabi’s mind.

“Right. Yes. You’d better go. We can handle it here. We won’t be attacked.Suarez is good enough as is Jesus. Miller and Allen and Bale will keep us safe. All of us.”

He smiled guilelessly as he put his hand over his lower belly where the bump was barely visible.

Steve had to admit that the gesture made him a bit nervous. Despite knowing that it was going to happen, he still felt it was much too soon for them to start a family. He was far too worried and scared that they would be recaptured. They hadn’t had as much luck ferreting out the facilities in the British Isles and even though they had had successes, they weren’t as far ahead as the Iberians were.

Xabi stopped smiling and looked sharply at his mate.

“They won’t. That’s why you need to go. They will help you. Everything will be fine. _Everything_.”

He grabbed Steve’s hand and squeezed it, emphasising his point and making Steve just slightly nervous. He knew that tone of voice. It was the one that meant Xabi had seen it already and had prepared accordingly. And although he did love and trust his Omega, Steve wasn’t blind to the truth that Xabi wasn’t as stable as he had been in the past.

“I believe you. I have to go now, love. Will you be fine?”

Steve murmured as he sat down on the edge of the bed and cupped Xabi’s face with his free hand.

“I will. Don’t worry. It won’t be for long. I still want a kiss.”

Xabi murmured, his eyes going a clear silver at the request, making Steve comply.

It was soft and easy and tender and the peach taste that was all Xabi always left him light-headed. He regretfully pulled away and slipped his hand out of Xabi’s grip before he smiled and left.

He had found it was easier to just go than to keep on lingering. He still had the bite marks from the last time he hadn’t been attuned to the signs.

“How is he?”

Silva asked as he handed Steve his pack as they made their way out to the car.

“Good. Odd, but sane. He said we’re going to succeed. Jesus okay?”

Silva blew out a big breath and nodded as he got into the driver’s side and got the car started with only a touch. Sometimes it was good to be a technokinetic.

“ Yeah. Jesus is good. Didn’t want me to go, but he understands.”

He chewed on his bottom lip before he continued.

“That’s good to know. It’s always hellish when he’s...um...lost.”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, willing himself to not think about the rages and the destruction Xabi could cause whenever he went into an episode. He had been getting those less and less as the idea that he was safe had stuck in his mind. But on occasion…

“Allright. Let’s get going then. The sooner we start, the sooner we can come back.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Cris stood up straight from the map table he had been leaning over as Sergio entered the boardroom that served as headquarters for the Special Ops unit Cris and Beckham jointly led with help from Iniesta and David Villa in Barcelona. In his hand was the expected suitcase, but his expression was quite blank, something that made Cris worry.

The next thing that made him pay close attention was the faint smell of Omegas clinging to him. One was the scent that he would have recognised anywhere: Kaka’s fresh butter cookie scent. The others were balsam and grass and made him think of the forest and made him curious as to why Sergio smelled like _his_ Kaka and two unknown Omegas.

Sergio himself didn’t notice Cris’ inner turmoil. Instead, he looked around the room quickly, eyes moving to scan exits and any surveillance equipment before he locked eyes with Cris. He grinned at the other Alpha and held out his hand after a few moments. Both had already established dominance the first time that they had met, with Sergio pinning him down and stealing his wallet within moments of meeting.

Cris knew then that he had to get the other Alpha on his side after he found himself spitting out blood. He hadn’t been defeated with such ease in years and Sergio had managed it without any of the additions that Cris had been painfully subjected to. It had made him suspicious of Sergio, but once the other Alpha had done a few retrieval missions, he had grown to trust him.

“Sergio. What have you got for me?”

He asked after he had shaken his friend and business partner’s hand.

Sergio lifted the suitcase he had been carrying onto the table, but didn’t let go of it. His eyes were dark and serious as he looked at Cris.

“What the fuck was that place you sent me to, Cris? You damn well know I’m just a bounty hunter at worst, an extractor at best. That place had a fucking _army_ planted there.Jesus Christ, Cris! Did you send me to be fucking killed or something?”

Cris blinked and stepped back. “What? No! Fuck no! I only sent you there because we got word it was unguarded! If I had known, I’d have done the job myself!”

Sergio shook his head and smiled bitterly. “Yeah, well, your information was fucked. Or they got a whiff of what was coming and planted a shitload of security. I got the stuff, but I want ten percent extra on top of my usual fee. Oh and Kaka wants his stipend upped. I didn’t leave that place alone.”

Cris’ eyes widened at the news. Kaka hadn’t said anything and neither had Mesut.

“Wait, what? What the hell do you mean, you didn’t leave that place alone?”

Sergio grinned tightly. “Exactly that. I found two guys locked up in cages with clear marks of being mutilated and experimented on. They were the ones that helped me get out.”

Cris eyes narrowed at that.

“How did they do that? You said you were facing an army, more or less.”

Sergio laughed tersely at him. “One of them, Nando, did something that was like setting off a bomb charge. Iker, the other guy killed with his bare hands. I think he’s also a telepath or something. They both have claws.”

Cris frowned at that bit of news and the names that Sergio had spoken. They weren’t really familiar to him, but maybe Villa or Beckham would know. What was worrying to him was the powers and augmentation that they had undergone. It confirmed what they had heard and feared: That they had moved up to the next level with their experiments.

They needed to move fast and get the latest facilities shut down. Already, he knew that there were four young men missing, per Suarez and Beckham’s contacts. They needed to move fast and hopefully those blueprints he had sent Sergio to get would be the key to doing so.

He cleared his throat and pointedly looked at the suitcase that Sergio still held.

“You’ll get it and the diamonds. As soon as I get my payment and the ten percent extra for my troubles. And also what you’re going to do about Iker and Nando. They’re not in the best of shape, after whatever the fuck it was that was done to them.”

Cris smirked and bent down to get the envelope of cash, plus the ten percent that Mesut had added as an afterthought. Cris had thought it odd, but didn’t question the decision. Mesut wouldn’t have done that unless he had already seen the need for it. He tossed it at Sergio, who didn’t waste time in opening it and rapidly counting the notes inside.

“ All of it is there. Even the ten percent. As for the other two...You may have to worry about that. I think.”

Sergio narrowed his eyes at the comment. “Why would I have to worry? I did my bit. You know how I work. I can’t exactly be helping with two clearly fucked up victims. I don’t have the time or the temperament for it, really.”

Cris didn’t bother to correct that blatant lie. They both knew Sergio wasn’t as cold or as tough as he pretended to be. He was very closed off and as far as Cris knew, he only really had opened up to him and Kaka and maybe Mesut. He tended to avoid the others and seldom talked about himself or the past, keeping the conversations going with less impersonal subjects.

“Yeah, well, it won’t be up to you if they’re Omegas. If that’s the case, they’ve already imprinted on you and there’s no way that you’d be able to desert them. Not if they’re as messed up and powerful as you said.”

Sergio blanched at those words and turned his head to sniff at the sleeve of the shirt that Kaka had lent him. He took a good sniff and mentally swore when he teased out not just the scent of detergent, but also the scent of powdered butter cookies, balsam, and grass. He knew Kaka’s scent from having scented it on Mesut or Cris. But the other two could only belong to Iker and Nando.

If they had already marked his clothing, then he was truly done for. They considered him _theirs_ already and unless he left the country and hid somewhere, they’d find him. Omegas with that strong of an attachment to an Alpha would never give up their claim until both parties ended up mating or the bond was broken. That second option was the least taken, since the backlash on both parties took months to years to heal.

And in some cases, not at all, preventing another bond from ever being formed again.

There was also another layer to complicate matters. Iker was a telepath and although Kaka wasn’t saying exactly how strong Iker was, Sergio had guessed Iker was fairly strong. He was also sure that Iker at some point, had nudged him to do what he wanted.

The idea of trying to ditch a telepathic Omega that had already imprinted on him didn’t make him any happier. Nor did it simplify matters. He hadn’t wanted any ties. Any connections to anyone. He had seen first hand what happened when people got too close. He never wanted to experience that again.

Yet it looked like it was going to happen, whether he wanted it or not.

“It looks like I’m shit out of luck then. They’ve imprinted on me. That still doesn’t mean you can be skint with Kaka. He needs that money, you know.”

Sergio replied turning to look at Cris again, the conversation regarding the Omegas clearly closed.

At least, for the time being. Cris knew that they would have to sit down and talk about it some more later.

“Enough of that now. About the suit-”

The doors burst open to reveal Klopp, Hummels, Gerrard, and Beckham. None of them looked particularly thrilled to be there and Sergio swore that Klopp, the older German with glasses was _smouldering._

And not in the sexy form of the word either.

He knew Gerrard and Beckham from Cris having pointed them out to him once or twice and Klopp and Hummels from snatches of conversations or flashes he’d seen on Mesut and Suarez’ computers whenever he stopped by to drop off an assignment or to pick one up. What he hadn’t known was that they were the same as Iker and Nando.

It made him nervous to be so damned close to them now that he knew what they were. Gerrard’s eyes, with their iridescence and circuitry, Klopp’s smouldering that was only now fading out made him painfully aware he wasn’t cut out for any of that shit and made him want to curse the day that he had ever come across Cris. Despite the money being good, he really wasn’t ready to be scared for his life.

“Blueprints, Ramos. Now.”

Gerrard demanded as he threw down a folder onto the table, where it slid towards Cris, who had to secretly wonder whether Gerrard had planned it. Probably, since he did have the deadliest aim and accuracy. Pity about the eyes though.

“What the fuck? Who are you to ask me for that?”

Ramos yelled, clearly shocked at the appearance of the group, all of them wearing different combat gear and looking as if they would tear him apart for the damned blueprints.

“Believe it or not, they’re allies of ours. The other side that I never let you meet until now.”

Here, Cris paused. “But now that the fuck up at the Cortes happened, You might as well properly meet the rest of us. I pointed out Gerrard and Beckham to you. The one that is almost on fire is Klopp. Hummels is behind him and he can do the same. Beckham’s the blonde and he’s more or less immortal, as far as we’ve figured out. So they can ask you that.”

Gerrard smiled the barest of smiles at that, his eyes shining as he took a good look at Ramos, who in his eyes, was an extraordinarily fit human, but not an enhanced one. Which surprised him as to how Sergio had done what he had done. Even with help. Gerrard made a mental note to interrogate him at later time to figure that out and hopefully even see if Xabi had been right about him finding Iker and Fer.

“It’s good to finally meet you in the flesh, but we don’t have time for pleasantries. We need those plans yesterday. Hendo and Lallana were snatched a month ago.”

Cris and Beckham swore, while Hummels’ hand burst into flame, only stopping when he was tapped on the shoulder by Klopp.

“They took Reus and Gotze.”

Klopp growled out.

“Villa made some noise about Messi and Alba.”

Cris scowled at the news and turned to Sergio, who was still clutching the damned suitcase.

“Might as well open it and hand the prints over. We’ve got some work to do and you have another job to do for me.”

Sergio nodded. He wasn’t that dense to not read between the lines.


	4. Melt Your Silver Down, Kiss Your Lover's Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The power behind the facilities needs to do damage control. Kaka takes care of Iker and Nando while they wait for what to do next, which comes in the news that Sergio may be a target, a fact confirmed by Beckham, who gets an unexpected surprise when doing so. Messi's time is up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a bridging chapter. I couldn't help but to delve more into how the past experiences of Kaka are shaping up why he is the way he is and his role within the world that Cris and the others occupy. I swear there will be actual romance later on. There is some here, but I guess only if you look for it.  
> Proofed, title is from "Anger as Beauty" by Hawksley Workman.

She sat in the sleekly designed modern office. Chrome, black leather and silver accents were the main decorating elements. The few paintings in the room were abstract and done in neutral tones, adding to the cold, clinical feel of the office. It wasn’t quite her personal preference, but it helped intimidate anyone who entered and helped set the tone for future negotiations, which quite often went her way.

She prided herself on closing the deals that often escaped her partners and she was well aware that her image had a whole lot to do with that winning streak.

A streak that may be in danger, if the report she was reading was correct.

“Well, fuck.”

She swore quietly, her pen underlining the most pertinent points in the document. She got out a scratchpad and started jotting down solutions and orders to make up for the deficits that she was finding in the report.

The Cortes facility wasn’t one of their main facilities, so it wasn’t such a blow to lose it as losing the German or the Catalonian one. The losses could be recouped, since only one of the modifications performed was viable for what the client was looking for. The other one could have been successful if his body hadn’t rejected the implant. They needed another one with enhanced vision ever since SGG-5-30 had disappeared with XOA-11-25.

She paused as she looked over her notes. One of the new ones in the Catalonian facility would be perfect as a replacement. She made a note on it and highlighted it as to not forget it, since she was sure that he was scheduled for something else.

She nodded to herself in satisfaction and kept on skimming the report, making more notes. They would have to pay out and bribe the proper authorities to cover up the carnage and damage that they had found. Not to mention the insurance payouts that would follow, if the pictures (which she delicately pushed under the sheaf of paper after realising exactly _what_ she was looking at) were showing what had happened at that facility.

Oddly enough, the surveillance footage was gone, completely wiped out. That would be an inconvenience in tracking down who was responsible for destroying their profits and stealing one of their half viable test subjects. They would get them in the end. That she was sure of.

Having reached the report, she finished her notes and closed the folder before picking up the phone and making the first call of the day to get things sorted.

“Gary? Clear the schedule. We need to have a meeting with the client. The Cortes has changed a few things.”

~*~*~*~*~

Iker took the mug of the chocolatey cola cao that Kaka handed him and smiled his thanks at the other Omega. Kaka smiled softly back as he poured out another mug and handed it to Nando, who was standing so closely behind Iker that he nearly tripped on him. Nando side-stepped him though, in a move that Kaka was sure was practiced, but said nothing about it.

Or overthought it much, since Nando was pretty sensitive telepath and could pick up stray thoughts better than Iker, for obvious reasons. Kaka had to remind himself that he wasn’t the only telepath around and to be extremely careful with Nando and Iker.

He could tell that Nando was quite dependent on Iker to navigate through life. Now that they were out of captivity, he clung to Iker even more. It reminded Kaka of himself and Mesut when they had been rescued. 

Particularly with how they had more or less claimed Sergio as their own property in a mirror of how he and Mesut had claimed Cris.

Kaka wasn’t surprised at that. He calmly poured himself a mug of the chocolatey drink and leaned against the counter to sip it. It happened more often than not and usually the Alphas were quite appreciative of the claim. But with Sergio...

He made a mental note to talk to Sergio about that later. Hopefully at his place, if he was able to get away from his two new guests for awhile. He would bring it up with Cris and Mesut when and if they finished at headquarters.

He was all too aware of the work that would come with Iker and Nando and the plans that Sergio had grabbed. No doubt that their shadowy enemies would retaliate and retaliate nastily. They may not even see each other for awhile if that was the case.

Kaka didn’t begrudge the possibility of being without their company. He was all too aware when Cris offered them a civilian life or working alongside him what the pitfalls would be. But he knew that he’d rather deal with them as they came than be out in a world that had forgotten him and saw him as a broken Omega in need of protection or institutionalisation.

He also didn’t want to leave Mesut. And Mesut hadn’t wanted to leave him, since he had been the only one who had been kind to him after they had effectively crippled him. Kaka never tried to recall those days. He had wiped them from Mesut’s mind, figuring it was a kindness he could do for him to help him recover from his ordeal.

He felt responsible for Mesut, since he was older and much more able than Mesut. He also felt quite strongly that it was his duty to be there for Mesut. It was that sense of duty and affection that had been the reasons why he had managed to be saved in the first place. Kaka had been the one to tell Cris about Mesut being trapped and unable to escape.

Kaka had also been the one to have the presence of mind to grab the rest of the plans as Cris had carried Mesut out with Modric, Villa, and Contrao following right after. Those plans had helped in taking down the facility that had gotten them Gerrard and Alonso and the British based contingent on their side.

Cris had accepted their choice and had brought Mesut to work with him once he realised Mesut’s potential lay in ferreting out information and the glimpses of the future that had proved handy. He realised quite quickly that Mesut was more of a soldier than Kaka and had set them up accordingly: Mesut in headquarters and Kaka as the middleman.

“ _So what happens now? Is there anything we can do?”_

Nando asked, making Kaka come back from his musings and look at the other Omega.

“At the moment, no. I’m afraid that this is the dull part after the rescue. Unless you have family that need to be contacted?”

Nando chewed on his bottom lip and shook his head. His eyes sad and dark as he did so.

_“Iker and I are each other’s family now.”_

Kaka winced at the simple statement. He had suspected as much. Most of them had to cut off ties with their biological families. Some out of shame and some for the safety of their families. And some because it was far better for them to be with Kaka and Cris, or Klopp and Hummels, or Gerrard and Alonso than their own families.

Kaka himself couldn’t go back. His conservative family would see him as tainted and damaged and never be able to see past the boy he had been and the injured Omega he was now.

Only Cris and Mesut and the others saw him as Ricardo. As Kaka. Whether it was in his kitchen, or poring over blueprints and stolen reports. Or in the privacy of the bed they shared. They looked _at_ him. Not the projection of their own perceptions.

_“So we wait?”_

Iker asked, coming back into the kitchen area and going to the sink to wash out the mug. Watching him do that, Nando blinked and did the same thing to his mug after he was finished. They didn’t have to do that, but it was a nice gesture all the same. Seeing them be so domestic made Kaka suspect that their heats would no doubt be approaching as soon once the suppressants that had been pumped into them had been flushed out of their systems.

He sincerely hoped that Cris wouldn’t send out Sergio before that happened. As much as he was vaguely neutral about the possibility of them becoming a unit, he didn’t want for them to go through a heat without an Alpha to take care of them.

“Quite possibly, but-”

The front door slamming open and the rapid staccato sound of Cris, Mesut, and Sergio’s voices arguing as they came into the kitchen drove his answer out of his mind.

“-Want me to stay behind? Why the fuck? I mean, I was the one that got your precious blueprints for you! Besides, if anyone knows all the hideouts and shady places, it would be me! On a tactical standpoint, it makes sense to have me there!”

Sergio shouted, making Iker and Nando winced and draw closer to Kaka, who was standing behind the counter. He subtly pushed them behind himself and waited for Sergio to calm down. He caught Mesut’s eye and his partner came closer.

_“Silva just got a tip from Navas. There’s a bounty on whoever destroyed the Cortes. They haven’t traced it back to Sergio, but Cris doesn’t want to take the chance that they will.”_

Mesut murmured as he got closer and subtly scented Kaka and patiently let him do the same. They didn’t draw as closely as other Omegas, but it was enough for them. Kaka understood Mesut’s reticience and he didn’t blame him.

_“Does Sergio know?”_

Mesut nodded and cast a surreptitious look at the Omegas who stood behind Kaka and blinked slowly, making Kaka want to grin. He didn’t and kept his eyes on Cris lest he give up the jig. Of course Cris would have not just that reason to refuse Sergio the mission.

“Sergio, listen to me. This isn’t like pissing off the local gangs. These people _will_ tear you apart. Figuratively and literally. You saw Gerrard. You saw Iker and Nando. You know about Kaka and Mesut. You helped destroy their lab and made off with two of their weapons. You won’t escape it.”

Sergio’s face blanched as he looked at Kaka, Mesut, Iker and Nando.

Kaka knew exactly what he was thinking about. Of Mesut’s bandaged leg stumps and Kaka’s shaved head and the hideous stitching hidden under his hair in the first few months after they had been rescued. The blackouts that had Kaka waking up disoriented and Sergio’s worried face looming above him as he guided him back to bed. The bad days when Mesut had phantom limb pain and couldn't walk. The days Kaka himself would be unable to finish fine motor tasks due to his hands not obeying him at all.

The days that Cris had been overwhelmed by the memories of his capture and the failed mission that had set them on their path. He would stay locked in his office until the memories had lost their grip on him and he was sane again. He was unable to have anyone near lest he lost control of himself and tore them apart. He was only able to have Mesut and Kaka talking him through it telepathically and that usually helped him get through it.

Iker’s ruined face and Nando’s silence and no doubt the horrors that would come out in time when they chose to tell him. If they got that far.

That had been mercy. 

Mercy that wouldn't be allowed to him a fact Cris was quite sure of. 

And Sergio believed him, since Cris wouldn't have kicked up such a fuss otherwise. But he wasn't ready to give in just yet.

Sergio shoulders remained stiff, but the paleness in his face remained.

“You said that they didn’t even know who did it. That your British buddies had done a thorough job of wiping down any trace of who was there.”

Cris sighed.

“There’s always a chance that we may have missed something. A bullet fragment. A backup of a backup. Until we know for sure that nothing’s been left behind, I’d rather you drop out of sight for awhile just to be on the safe side.”

He paused and sighed heavily as he rubbed his face.

“Sergio, I don’t want to risk you. You’re my friend first. If they took you and tortured you, I’d never forgive myself for putting you through all that. I took this job to prevent them from destroying other lives and hurting others. So _please_.”

Mesut and Kaka looked at each other in mute surprise. Cris was proud. Maybe horribly so at times. To hear him speak so honestly made Kaka and Mesut worry.

_“Was it more than a bounty put out?”_

Mesut closed his eyes and focused for a few seconds.

_“Beckham has pulled up something else. What, we have to decipher. It looks like the blueprints have more importance than we first guessed.”_

They both looked at Sergio, who had gone even whiter at Cris’ words. His shoulders slumped and he finally nodded.

“Fine. I’d better swing by my place then and pick up some stuff.”

He looked at Kaka and the other Omegas. Iker’s eye widened at that and Nando went slightly pink at the look, making Sergio clear his throat awkwardly as he then turned to look at Kaka and Mesut.

“I guess I’ll be staying here for a while then?”

Before anyone could reply, Beckham appeared, his hair dishevelled and his clothes sooty. He looked at Cris and then at Sergio and relaxed slightly.

“Oh thank fuck you’re still here!”

Cris and Sergio gaped at Beckham.

“What do you mean? What’s going on?”

Sergio blurted out, his brow furrowing as he waited for an answer.

“I hope you weren’t too attached to your place. It’s been-Shit! It’s you! Iker! Holy shit! Iker!”

Beckham shouted joyfully as he pushed past everyone to embrace the Omega who stood as if turned to stone.

Nando and Sergio gaped at the scene in front of them.

“Huh. Okay. Well. Didn’t see that coming. Did you?”

Cris asked Mesut, whose only reply was to hit him.

~*~*~*~*~

Messi sat huddled in the corner of the sterile cell, the thin washed out grey jumpsuit doing barely anything to keep the cold from seeping into his skin. He shivered and he wasn’t sure if it was from the fear that was haunting him day and night ever since Jordi was taken away, or from the frigid chill they kept the temperature at.

He wanted to pretend it was just the chill. But he knew better.

He had heard one of the English boys screaming two days ago. He had seen the tall, brown haired one be wheeled past his and Jordi’s cell with machines all around his still body. He had seen the fear in the other dark one’s face as they had marched him away.

Jordi had been taken just after and Messi shuddered.

He knew he was next.

It was just a matter of time, but the waiting was starting to fray his nerves. He wanted to curl up into a ball and hide under the bench that served as a bed, but didn’t want to give them the satisfaction.

He was all too aware that they were watching him and he wasn’t going to crack just for their entertainment.

He wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees and forced himself to not dwell on what was going to happen. Instead, he thought about his family, his neighborhood friends, the way it felt to be out in the field playing football, the way that the new grass on the pitch-

The sound of the door opening made him snap his eyes open and look at the doorway, where three guards and a nurse dressed in a white lab coat and scrubs holding a clipboard stood.

Messi swallowed hard as he stood up on shaky legs and walked towards them.

His time had come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mesut and Kaka's injuries-I don't want to get gory for the sake of being gory, that's why I've left it intentionally vague. The same with everyone else unless it can't be helped.  
> The woman-Still haven't decided on her identity. She is connected to one of the mains.  
> Iker and Nando-They've been held captive for awhile and are very insular, so they will be sort of clingy and jittery. Kaka recognises this and is sort of playing matchmaker and pushing them towards Sergio. He has his reasons.  
> Trauma- Mostly everyone in different flavours. Hopefully I'll get enough space and time (plot permitting) on exploring how they cope with it. If they do and how they work through it.


	5. I Confess That It Sounds Unlikely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The facility moves ahead with their new recruits and gathers new information on who has been sabotaging their other places. Cris explains the reasoning behind Beckham and his reaction to Iker, who is asked for a favour. The house itself is ambushed and Gerrard finds something that makes him change his plans.

_Chapter 5-I Quite Admit, That It Sounds Unlikely_

Gary looked at her out of the corner of her eye as they both were supposed to be watching the next batch of modifications being put in place.

If she noticed, she didn’t give any indication of it. She simply stood there in those heels that made her almost as tall as some of the men she dealt with. Gary knew why she wore them. They were part of the same armour that the monochrome suits and perfectly styled, yet severe bob were. The makeup too, was chosen to reflect her ruthlessness.

He hadn’t ever underestimated her. Not even back in the days when-

He cut off that thought. Those days were long gone and nothing would ever bring them back.

“Are we on target then?”

He asked her in an effort to distract himself from the past when he had been more naive and thought the world worked in simple shades of black and white, rather than the murky greys he and his associated, including _her_ inhabited.

She turned to look at him, her prim mouth pressed into a tight line and nodded once.

“Henderson was just done. So was Messi. Lallana is being trained. He should be able to join Griezmann in a month. Henderson and Messi also. I’m sure that as a package, they’ll fetch a high price.”

Gary took a moment to calculate the amount and whistled appreciatively.

It would certainly balance out the fuck up that the Cortes had turned out to be.

She turned away from watching Lallana’s forearms being sliced open and turned to him.

“Any news on who destroyed the Cortes?”

Gary shook out of his speculations and looked at her.

“We followed a lead that says a Sergio Ramos was seen leaving the general vicinity of the Cortes. We razed his flat and found nothing of consequence. Nothing but a bolthole of a small time runner.”

Her eyes narrowed as she took in the news.

“Is there any connection with the others? CRSA-2-5? Or JNK-6-16?”

Gary shook his head.

“Nothing’s come up. He spends a lot of time with a fence named Ricardo Kaka.”

She nodded at the name and looked straight at him.

“Shake down this Kaka. I’m going to bet money that’s where we will find this Ramos and more answers.”

Gary nodded and pulled out his phone to make a note of it when they were interrupted by one of the younger ones holding what looked like freshly printed documents.

“Pardon the intrusion. We just got word that the German facilities were all wiped out in one sweep. Fifteen assets are missing. The details are in the reports.”

Gary looked at her and bit his lip when he saw the blood rush to her face and then flush away, leaving angry red spots on her cheekbones.

She turned to Gary as she jerked the paperwork out of the kid’s hand.

“Get onto Kaka’s and grab that bastard! NOW!”

~*~*~*~*~*

Hendo woke up abruptly to a white ceiling above him and a stiff mattress underneath him. There were cold spots on his arm, which felt like it was tied down to something. He needed to get up.

Where exactly was he? He reached up to rub his eyes with his left hand, but stopped when he felt the unfamiliar tugging of tubes in his forearm. He stopped and rubbed his eyes with his free right hand instead.

Once his vision was a bit clearer, he saw that he was indeed in a hospital room.

Frowning, he tried to figure out how he had ended up in what looked like a hospital.

He lay still, trying to recall exactly _why_ he’d be in hospital when it came crashing back to him: The man who came up to him and corralled him before he was grabbed from behind and thrown in a van. The stay in the cell with Adam, who was as bewildered as he was.

The group dressed in porter outfits who came into the cell and dragged a scared and fighting Adam away.

The silence that followed before they came for him and…

Hendo pushed himself up on his elbows and trying to get enough leverage to sit up. He remained in the same position he blinked and looked down at his lower body. His mouth twisted into a grimace of horror when he saw the blankets abruptly stop after his thighs. He awkwardly got himself to a sitting position, his chest heaving with exertion and the impending panic attack that was building up in his chest as he pulled the blankets away to reveal bandages and his lower legs missing.

He screamed at the sight, not caring if he alerted anyone around him.

His legs were gone! They had taken his fucking _legs! His legs!_

He was faintly aware of nurses or doctors or whatever pouring into the room and grabbing at him.

Hendo didn’t let them. He batted them all away as if they were nothing but mosquitos, sending some of them crashing into the equipment and cupboards in the room. He heard shouting and beeping and alarms, felt something wet running down his arm, felt hands grabbing at him, but he didn’t let them get near.

How could he let them after they had taken his legs? Why would they even think he’d happily let them near? They were-

He looked down and saw a dart sticking out from his upper shoulder and it made him both amused and enraged.

Did they really think-

~*~*~*~*~

Messi tried to not touch the bandages that covered most of his face.

He really did, but it was hard to not wonder at what they had done to him.

He was sure that they had taken his eyes and replaced them with...Something. He could feel the cold ache of metal in his face and in his sockets. It was hard to not touch them. Especially when the dull throbs of pain suddenly transformed into bursts of agony that would have him either passed out with their intensity, or doped up on painkillers.

“It’s settling. He should be healed in about three weeks. If the timeline from SGG-5-30 is correct, he should have full use of them during that time and the pain should be gone also.”

They spoke over him before they stuck him with something that made them fade away.

Messi didn’t care.

He preferred being in that blackness, not feeling, not knowing, than facing what his reality had become.

He didn’t want to be awake and have some hope that the cops or someone would find him.

He couldn’t afford to break his heart.

He needed it whole to survive.

Whatever the hell this was.

He needed to see it through.

~*~*~*~*

“Sergio’s going to share a room with Nando and Iker?”

Cris asked Kaka as they retreated to the bedroom that they shared with Mesut, leaving Sergio and Nando in the room that was usually just Sergio’s. Iker and Beckham were in the living room. Gerrard, Klopp and the others were in the business wing of the house. Stuff had come up. What, Kaka wasn’t sure of. All he knew was that something had gone down in Germany.

Mesut was in the en-suite, getting ready for bed. He had been on his prosthetics for far too long and was ready to crash. Both Kaka and Cris could see the signs and hadn’t said much when Mesut had announced his intentions to shower and sleep.

They had understood he was giving them time to talk about something that he and Cris had half-assed considered, but hadn’t made a decision on until Kaka put in his own opinion on the situation. So they took the opportunity to do so.

Kaka nodded as he poked his head out of the closet that was more or less storage for weapons, documents, cash, clothes and packed suitcases in case they needed to run. Despite Kaka being off the radar, they were all too aware that nowhere was safe and were ready in case they had to run. Kaka was under no illusion that the day would come and had prepared for it accordingly. Mesut had dropped hints that the time was coming soon, so Kaka had already gotten their bags ready. Klopp had promised sanctuary, so it was all planned out.

“Considering that they’ve more or less claimed him, I don’t really see any other arrangement being plausible. Besides, those two _will_ go into heat soon and need an Alpha. I don’t see anyone else stepping up to take up the position.”

Kaka pointed out, a small edge to his voice that made Cris raise an eyebrow.

“Beckham’s actually angling for that position, if what we saw was correct.”

Kaka frowned as he walked out of the storage area with clothes and bags of toiletries for the two Omegas and placed them on the bed.

“Did you know about them? Was that why you enlisted Beckham? To find him a mate?”

Cris shook his head at the vehemence in which his Omega spoke.

“I hadn’t a hint that they knew each other, Ricky! Christ no! Beckham just kind of came along with the package! We were supposed to be in a cell together-Me, him, Gerrard and Alonso. Except that it didn’t work out that way.”

Kaka’s eyes widened, since he hadn’t really heard Cris speak of how exactly they had broken out and formed the sprawling network devoted to destroying the facilities that had turned them into what they were. He was aware of Klopp and Hummels and how the Germans had escaped, but not how the British and Spanish contingents had succeeded. He had to admit he hadn’t paid attention when he had been piecing a life together after what they had done to him and to Mesut.

“What happened?”

Cris chewed on his bottom lip as he tried to recall who it had been that had cracked first.

“I think it was Beckham that started it, getting us out of the training that they shoved into our minds. You and Mesut didn’t get that because we got you out in time. They put some kind of low-key telepathic suggestions that make us...less troublesome.”

Cris shuddered as he recalled those days that always showed up in his mind as if he was seeing them through a distorted grey blue lens. Most of the time, it felt like he was watching a movie about someone else’s life. He recalled the first few weeks, the training and the introduction to his cell. He recalled shuddering at the sight of Gerrard’s silver cybernetic eyes and the unnatural way the pupils would open and close and shift into different shapes depending on the need.

He recalled Beckham’s coolness and the remoteness that was part of him as he had killed with lethal swiftness, whether it was simply with his bare hands or knives or guns. He had been skilled in that. Xabi had been their bombs expert, capable of setting bombs at the precise times and getting them out long before anyone could guess that they had been there. He had always been good at seeing all the probabilities.

They should have worked perfectly and would have remained as a unit until Beckham snapped.

“Beckham saw something. He knew something was wrong when they put Owen in with us. He should have made the work easier, being a telepath, but Beckham and Gerrard didn’t trust him for some reason. I didn’t think much of it.”

Cris chewed on his lip as he tried to recall the rest. It was sort of muffled and confused what exactly happened. What was clear was the agony of-

“He was going to take Alonso out for some reason. No explanation was given, only that the order came from a specific person. Someone that Beckham had known before.”

He could still see how the light had gone out of Beckham’s eyes once he had figured out who had shoved Owen in with them. How his face had been twisted in fury and how he had snapped from the cool leader that they had always relied on.

It had been so sudden and so complete that they hadn’t time to register something was wrong.

“Beckham lost his shit, broke the conditioning and forced Owen to overturn it in the rest of us. He refused and shot Alonso in the back, right after fucking him up by amping up his precognition.”

Kaka gasped, not able to help it. Poor Xabi. He hadn’t deserved to be paralysed and turned into a tragic version of an Oracle. He didn’t blame Gerrard for everything he had done after in an effort to destroy the same people that had destroyed not only his life, but Xabi’s.

“There was no turning back then. Gerrard snapped out of it himself once Alonso had been hit. Beckham pulled something inside me that made me go back to who I was. We destroyed that place and got out. We figured out then how far it all went.”

He rubbed his mouth as he tried to continue with the story.

“Beckham wasn’t the same. As was Gerrard. They’ve been the ones looking for someone. They never told me who it was, but I think it was Iker all along.”

He looked at Kaka sharply.

“He’s a telepath, isn’t he?”

Kaka nodded.

“How strong is he?”

Kaka had to stop and think for awhile, since he wasn’t really sure how strong he was if he wasn’t near Nando. Maybe they were both strong, or maybe being next to each other amplified that. He’d have to have them alone to know for sure.

“Stronger than me for sure. Maybe stronger than Nando. Both are pretty high up there. I wouldn’t be able to guess unless I tested them separately.”

He looked at Cris with narrowed eyes.

“Iker isn’t going with Beckham then. Not if all he wants him for is to use him!”

Cris laughed shortly.

“That’s not up to you! If Iker-”

“He’s already claimed Sergio! You smelled him and Nando on his clothes, or else you wouldn’t be asking such pointed questions about them being together. No. He’s already made his choice.”

Cris threw his hands up in exasperation.

“What if he changes his mind? Will you stop him if he does? Manipulate him into Sergio’s arms right after if that’s the case?”

Kaka snorted.

“I wouldn’t and you know that. If it’s his choice, fine. But I hardly doubt it would be. He didn’t respond when Beckham held him.”

He pointed out to Cris who snapped his fingers at the realisation.

“I forgot about that. I just assumed it was the shock. Then I guess Beckham’s shit out of luck.”

Cris commented while Kaka got together the bundles he had been in the middle of getting together.

“Not exactly. He’s not looking for a mate, Cris. He needs a partner. Iker’s a key. So is Nando.”

Both Kaka and Cris turned to look at Mesut, who was now limping towards the bed as he spoke. He flopped down gracelessly on it and began the task of removing his prosthetic legs so he could get to sleep.

“For what, exactly?”

Cris asked, wincing as Mesut finished the task and got under the covers, his face sleep-smudged as he got himself comfortable.

“Partly to get Xabi back to his normal self and partly to track down who sold him out.”

Mesut replied, his words almost incoherent as sleep pulled him under, leaving Kaka and Cris staring at each other.

~*~*~*~*

“So you’ll help us?”

Beckham asked Iker as they sat on the couch.

Iker chewed on the inside of his cheek as he pondered his reply. He had known Beckham before. Back when they had been kids and the future had seemed bright and brimming with promise. But now, he hardly recognised the man that sad next to him, with his shields up high and wound so tightly he would break.

He wasn’t sure if he could do what Beckham was asking him, but he could give it a try. He’d have to ask Nando and if Nando said no…

Before he could reply, he caught a stray thought of a sniper outside the perimeter of the house. He was taking aim at Gerrard, whom he could see from the windows. Klopp and Hummels were out of sight, but Iker knew the sniper was picking up on their heat signatures.

He would take them out next if Iker didn’t warn Gerrard and the Germans.

_“Gerrard! Get away from the window! There’s a sniper out there!”_

Iker sensed Gerrard’s surprise, but he didn’t hesitate to do as he was told.

They heard two gunshots ringing out in the night and Iker heard the death cry of the sniper before he turned to Beckham.

“I’ll help you. But right now, we have to get rid of whoever’s out there. Gerrard just smashed a sniper that was going to take him out. We need to move and move fast!”

~*~*~*~*~

Sergio heard the gunshots and got into action. Pulling out his rifle, he plastered himself against the window and looked outside. He couldn’t see anything in the darkness, but he was damned sure that there were others out there.

_“There’s ten around the perimeter. The sniper was the surprise.”_

Sergio heard Nando’s voice in his head.

He turned to his roommate, who was calm as he stood out of the window range with his eyes closed as he focused on who was out there trying to get them.

“Have you told the others?”

Nando nodded.

“ _Gerrard’s out there. Along with Hummels and K-Oh God that was disgusting! I never knew that could even be done! They’re down to four. Beckham’s joined the party now.”_

Before Sergio could even think of asking what Nando was talking about, a canister was thrown through the window, rapidly filling the room with tear gas.

He coughed and covered his mouth and nose, grateful that he hadn’t taken off his combat gear. He rushed to grab Nando and get him out, but the canister was followed by two goons, who quickly split up to fight him and Nando.

“Oh for fuck’s sake!”

Sergio growled out and his head snapped back with the first blow, his rifle falling out of his grip. He hadn’t been angry before, but now, with what had happened earlier and all that Cris had told him, he was _furious._

He harnessed that rage and went for the guy, smacking him with a right hook that had him stumbling backwards and losing control of his gun. Sergio was coughing and his eyes were watering, making it hard to connect another hit.

Keeping an eye on the guy, he gingerly picked up the canister after several seconds of fumbling and hurled it outside.

Now he could fight.

The guy hadn’t wasted time and had launched himself at Sergio with a knife in one hand. He barely missed slicing Sergio’s throat open, catching the side of his face when Sergio weaved out of the way. It hurt, but he was still alive.

Sergio kicked the guy hard in the knee, making him drop the knife.

He snatched it up and buried it into the guy’s throat in one move, making the guy drop like a sack of bricks. He only paused to pick up his rifle and get to Nando and see if he needed help.

What he found was Nando panting heavily, his claws bloody and the other attacker on the floor with his throat torn out.

“ _What took you so long?”_

Before Sergio could reply, the door banged open and Hummels and Gerrard stepped in.

“You got the last two, Jesus!”

Hummels muttered as he coughed at the last bit of tear gas that remained in the room, the rest having been sucked out of the broken window.

“We need to move. Get whatever you can carry and follow me and Klopp. Germany’s our bet now.”

Hummels told them as he left the room.

Gerrard didn’t follow and only looked at Nando and Sergio.

“Get cleaned up first. We’re conspicuous enough as it is.”

Nando rolled his eyes at that.

_“Says the Alpha that looks like something out of Neuromancer.”_

Gerrard’s eyes widened and turned a metallic green at the words.

“You’re a telepath?”

Nando nodded cautiously.

_“Iker and Kaka too. Why?”_

Gerrard smiled tightly.

“Change of plans. You and your friends are going to come with me.”

_“Why?”_

Gerrard’s mouth hardened at the question.

“Revenge.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beckham-He's the catalyst in most situations and will be the one to more or less finish things. I have to consult my notes on what will happen, but he will for sure face a whole lot of his past.  
> Iker and Nando-Exactly how powerful they are will be shown later. Gerrard and Beckham need them for their own ends and Sergio won't exactly be thrilled by this. Neither will Kaka.


	6. This Neverending Story, Paid for With Pride and Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Germans clean up, A cell is activated. Stevie and Cris clash over Iker and Nando, Sergio questions the future and Xabi starts to hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter feels like a kaleidoscope since it goes to a whole lot of different places and introduces new people and different perspectives. It was oddly soothing to write, since the pieces of the puzzle are coming together here. I also have a thing for action films and loads of guns despite being a pacifist.  
> Proofed, but if mistakes show up, they will be fixed.  
> Title is from 30StoM.

_“I’ll keep you covered while you set the explosives. Go! Sami! Go!”_

Beni  shouted at him as he shoved Sami in the direction of the engine room. He jammed another clip into his gun and ran out from the hall that they had been hiding in. Sami didn’t need to be told twice to get going. Beni was as hard as they came and he had no doubt that he’d manage to destroy whoever it was that was trying to stop them.

_“Get out of here as soon as you’re done, Beni. I won’t be long.”_

Sami shot back once he kicked the lock off the door and slipped inside without a sound. He hadn’t liked the cybernetics when they had first given them to him, but now that he had mastered them, he understood why they were a must.

He still missed his own legs from time to time though.

Pushing those thoughts aside and not starting to piece together the pre-made bomb, he waited until he heard Benni give him the go ahead to begin working.

_“I’m in the clear, Sami. Gomez and the others are here. Go to town.”_

Sami nodded and hummed tunelessly as he worked. In a minute, he had taped up the last bit of explosives to the plastic timer. It was crude, but in his hands, it packed a punch and then some.

_“Two minutes, Sami. You got it done?”_

Marc Andre reminded him from the other side of the compound before biting off a curse with a grunt.

_“Got it. Nearly done. You guys fine up there?”_

Marc Andre hissed before replying.

_“Yeah. Gomez just finished up his section. Can already downloaded the information of the other facilities and wiped out all of their backups and hard-drives. Jonas found Gotze, Reus, Hector and a few others.”_

Sami made a noise of surprise when he heard that.

_“It’s nearly done. I’ll be at the meeting point in a few minutes. Make sure no one you don’t want to lose is anywhere near the buildings. This one’s about ten times as strong as the one in Cologne.”_

Sami warned as he stuck it carefully to the pipes, bolting out of the engine room as fast as his mechanical legs would carry him.

Marc Andre laughed at that, recalling that particular bomb and the carnage it left behind.

_“Got it. See you in a bit.”_

Marc-Andre cut off the connection and left Sami alone in his head, just the way that he liked it. As much as he enjoyed working with the rest of his team, he had never gotten used to having Marc Andre or Gomez coming in and out of his mind at random times. He had to admit that it was handy, but the loss of privacy still irked him sometimes.

He took a deep breath and kept on running, letting his mind go blank with the movement, not stopping until he saw the parking lot and the others hiding in the shadows and behind the abandoned cars and lorries there.

Once he saw them there, he grabbed the detonator and clicked it at the same time he skidded to a stop before Gomez, a blood-spattered Beni, and Marc Andre.

“Show off.”

Gomez muttered when the explosion hit and rocked the place.

Sami grinned.

“Got the job done though.”

Gomez shrugged.

“That it did.”

~*~*~*~*~

“Wake up.”

Toni’s eyes flew open at the command, taking only a few seconds to calibrate his surroundings before they focused properly. Once that had happened, he sat up on his bunk and looked at his teammate.

Bastian was fully dressed in the black bdus without a hair out of place. Despite his physical presence, he moved as fast and as quietly as a shadow. Toni could usually catch Antonie or Hugo walking about with minimal effort, but Bastian was always the one that escaped him.

He guessed that was the reason why Hugo always chose him to gather the team and get them sorted out before a mission. Less chance of anyone knowing he was coming.

“Get yourself and your gear ready. We leave in twenty minutes.”

Bastian informed him in his flat monotone, the German inflection not quite gone despite the years he had spent speaking solely in English. Their employer insisted on it and they had no choice but to comply. Even though Toni occasionally missed his language, they all did as they were told.

He suspected that it was the same for Hugo and Antoine, but it wasn’t something that they discussed, oddly enough. They were strictly business and went about their own way when they weren’t working. He wondered why that was the case. Especially since he was sure that he _knew_ Bastian from before. How, he never could pin it down.

The whole situation would make him get a headache and it wasn’t really worth it, so he dropped it and focused on something else.

“Where are we going?”

He asked as he gathered up a towel and toiletries.

“Yorkshire. We’ve got some work. We’ll be in the kitchen.”

Bastian informed him, messing up his hair before heading out of the room and leaving Toni confused as to why Bastian would do that.

A small flash of a memory hit him, but it slipped away too fast for him to actually catch it. Shrugging, he went into the bathroom and did as he was told.

~*~*~*~*~

“You’re not taking them to England, Stevie!”

Cris shouted at Stevie as they stood in the mess that had been Kaka’s living room, the floor stripped bare of its carpets, which Klopp and Hummels had appropriated in order to get rid of the bodies of their would be assassins.

They were outside with Mesut doing just that and Sergio hadn’t offered to help. Kaka had shaken his head and Sergio had taken the hint and simply stayed inside, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Something that was hard to do when he was six foot one and had two Omegas of nearly the same size clinging to him despite him having seen one of them tear a man’s throat out and the other...He wasn't quite sure what Iker had done during that pitched battle they had just been involved in. 

Sergio knew that Iker had been the one to raise the alarm and save Gerrard, Klopp, and Hummels, but if he had actually fought, Sergio was unaware of it. He also knew that Iker wasn’t going to tell him anything. He had been closed off ever since he had the heart to heart with Beckham, something that did bother Sergio, oddly enough.

Despite his earlier reluctance at having had the Omegas imprinting on him, he found himself in the position of not wanting to give up any claim he had over them. Although he was quite confident that Nando wasn’t going to change his mind, he felt a dull ache of despair at possibly losing Iker to Beckham.

He had only recently met the other Alpha and didn’t want to have any bad blood between them, but he wouldn’t give up Iker without a fight. Even though he realised it was a bit ridiculous to even think of having a claim on Iker, Sergio wasn’t prepared to give him up.

It could have been the adrenaline that was going to make him due for a crash. Or maybe it was just the way that Iker had made his way next to where he and Nando stood and had scented him, making all their three scents blend together.

Or maybe it was the way that Beckham had quickly acquiesced to Gerrard’s flat statement about them going to England without a second thought. Whatever combination had them like that didn’t matter to him. What mattered was having his weird little pack together and no one ever splitting them up again.

He had stared death in the face twice with them beside him. That had been the start of a bond and a new life that he hadn’t wanted to accept until Cris had pointed out the obvious: He couldn’t ever return to what he had been now that he knew what was hiding in the grey areas of the world. The point was finally driven into his head by his bolthole being destroyed and now by the reluctance he felt at letting Iker go.

It should have been what he wanted. After all, he had been just recently arguing with Cris over the claiming. He had always lived his life with as little complications as possible and here he was, subtly edging closer to Iker and Nando, only stopping himself from wrapping an arm around each of the Omegas.

Kaka saw his inching and shook his head at the sight, but didn’t do anything else. Sergio was glad that it was Kaka that had seen that. If it had been Mesut, he was sure that he’d never live it down. As much as he liked the little firecracker Omega, Mesut wasn’t above major trolling if he felt like it. Especially since he probably would have already seen the outcome and would have known the futility of Sergio’s efforts.

It was in a belated realisation that Sergio finally understood why Mesut would smirk at him whenever they talked about him never settling down. No wonder why he and Kaka had always smiled indulgently at him, as if he was a child that needed to be humoured in an effort to keep the peace. He felt like a fool at the sudden knowledge and vowed in the future to not discount Mesut and Kaka out of hand. They had yet again confirmed that he was now living in a new world where he would be better off in following their leads rather than following his impulses as he always had.

“Why the bloody fuck not, Cris? Give me one fucking good reason why not! You promised, remember? You and Beckham promised! You going to backtrack on it? After all we sacrificed for all your schemes?”

Stevie roared, his eyes white in his blind rage.

It made Iker and Nando get closer to Sergio and Kaka and Mesut fall back. Hell, it even affected Sergio and he was as much of an Alpha as the others in that room.

Cris and Beckham both flinched and Kaka made a soft noise of distress in the heavy and stifling silence that had fallen heavily in the room. It was unnerving to see Stevie furious and barely in control. Sergio knew that wasn’t the usual state of matters with him. But something had cut deep. Something that involved Iker & Cris and a lot of unresolved history between all of them.

“Stevie...I get it. I do. But as we stand, England would be the worst place to take them. We’ve seen proof of it just an hour ago.They’re better off in Germany with Klopp and Hummels. Hell, as it stands, _we’re_ not safe. How long do you think it will take until another team comes?”

Stevie’s eyes narrowed at the explanation and his hands were shaking as he tried to not let himself completely lose his common sense to the rage broiling inside of him. He made a sharp, guttural noise at that and Beckham cleared his throat to interject to Cris’ explanation when Iker’s voice cut through the tension.

“Do I get a say in where I am to go?”

He asked, making everyone just freeze in their negotiations. Beckham looked away and Stevie’s eyes went a dull grey as they realised exactly what they were doing. Cris’s face went dark red and he cleared his throat in embarrassment. Sergio only raised an eyebrow and smiled at the Omega, proud that he had decided to stand up for himself.

Even if it did mean that he’d have to think of a way to get himself and Nando over to England as well.

Once he had everyone’s attention, Iker cleared his throat nervously before he turned and looked at Stevie, who once the rage had passed, just looked exhausted and defeated.

“I am aware of why you want me in England. I’m not adverse to doing it, but I need help. I need Nando there.”

He paused and looked straight at Sergio. His eyes glimmered a bright green for a split second, the moment having gone so fast that Sergio believed he had imagined it. He didn’t have time to question what he had seen since Iker had by then turned to Stevie, who was looking at him with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“And I need my Alpha there with us. I won’t go without Nando or Sergio.”

It wasn’t a gambit that they had expected Iker to take and it showed with how Cris straightened up and how Stevie made a short, guttural noise in the back of his throat while Beckham inhaled sharply.

_“Didn’t see that coming, that was for certain. I guess we’re going to England.”_

Nando murmured, his mind a soft buzz in Sergio’s own as he made the observation.

_“You’re that sure he’s swayed Cris enough to do that? Not to mention the fact that I am being targeted by your former captors. I don’t want to die just yet.”_

Nando touched him, making Sergio turn his head to look at him.

_“You’re far from helpless and you’re going to not just have me and Iker around. There’s more of them over there and I have a feeling they have been spoiling for this fight forever. We should be fine, Alpha.”_

Sergio gave him a half smile, not sure how to feel about the title. It was rare that Omegas did the claiming, and this was the first time that either of them had mentioned it. The preliminary bonds were there, but he was all too aware that they’d have to talk about the entire situation sooner, rather than later.

Nando’s eyelids fluttered and he moved closer.

_“In England. I promise that we’ll talk about it.”_

Sergio gave him a short, jerky nod in reply as they turned back to the scene in front of them.

“As much as it’s a tactical issue, we can’t force them to go to Germany.”

Klopp cut in, his voice low and measured as he made his point. He glanced at Hummels, who had just shoved his mobile back into his pocket and nodded to his superior.

“Cris, if they need bodyguards, we can be spared. Hoewels, ter Stieger, and Khedira did their jobs better than Mustafi and Gomez expected.”

Cris turned to him, the situation in front of him forgotten for a moment.

“What do you mean?”

Klopp grinned widely, his crooked grin infectious in his glee and looked at Hummels.

“We got Gotze back after they had grabbed him. They didn’t mess him up again, thankfully. Reus and ten others were found. There’s no trace of others. They’re done in Germany.”

~*~*~*~*~

_He remembered those two other Omegas. The blondish one and the solemn dark haired one. From long ago, when they were pups. They were with an Alpha with long, curling chestnut hair and a sad smile hiding a wounded heart._

_Stevie was there, his face full of hope as he brought them into the compound._

_Xabi hadn’t seen him look like that in years and it made an ember of hope that he didn’t even think he still possessed._

_He had learned to live in that shadowy half-world of warping reality and insights of the future that both comforted and terrified him in equal measures. He hadn’t liked it, yet had accepted that he’d never be the same Xabi Alonso that had entered that factory years ago._

_The physical limitations had been secondary to being lost inside his own mind. He missed having that freedom. But with his ability to tell what was real and what were visions severely compromised, he was unexpectedly grateful for needing someone to help him navigate through life._

_It was coming to an end though and he briefly wondered if it would be something that he’d chafe at, or something that he’d be able to handle with no problems. He knew too, that it would be easier on Stevie. He hadn’t ever stopped looking and searching for a way to bring Xabi completely back_

_They were so close now. Those two would be able to pull him out of his half life._

_He had seen it happening in the days after he had been dropped into the strange world he had inhabited since._

_Despite knowing it, Xabi didn’t know how to feel about it when the door of his room opened and-_

“I-I-Iker? Nando?”

His voice was hoarse and his smile slightly rusty, but it was real all the same.

“We’re here, Xabi. We’re here.”


	7. I Don't Remember the Moment I Lost Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toni and the others are out on a mission that feels wrong, Iker and Nando dig through Xabi's mind to find him and get a nasty surprise. Beckham and Stevie get what they had waited for so damned long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was one of the random ones, that I didn't see exactly where it was going until the very end. There's action and plot movement and the final showdown should be in either the next few chapters. It has been a bit of a fucked up week that left me drained unable to really write until today to finish it off.

Toni barely felt the badly paved terrain that they were travelling across to get up to the rumoured rebel base. He was jolted and bumped along and he was getting annoyed at having to make sure he had a death-grip on his gun as they travelled. It was also making the hearing aids hurt on top of making him dizzy.  

He wasn’t picking up anything and he desperately wanted to go home. Hugo was pissed for some reason or another and Griezmann, who was usually chatty and made things bearable with his French accented observations remained stubbornly quiet. Basti was driving mechanically and the tension in the jeep was so thick that Toni could cut it with a knife.

In Toni’s opinion, this was the worst assignment that they had been sent out on. Their bosses were anxious and pulling out all of the stops to cover the base in Lancashire. Vardy and his team had been recalled and the new kids were being shoved onto the field. It was suspicious and Toni was uneasy about the situation.

In fact, he was pretty sure that was why Hugo was moodier than a teenage girl and why Griezmann had firmly kept himself so closed off. They were being sent for what could possibly be a suicide mission and despite their training, it wasn’t something that any of them could make peace with comfortably. Especially since they would be in Lancashire in about an hour or so.

Toni figured that he should have been a bit more panicked than he was at the possibility of dying, but all he could feel was apathy towards the situation. He was dimly aware that he should have felt more than that, but couldn’t put his finger on why that would be the case. It was his job. That was what he was trained to do and he accepted that he would die in the line of duty.

_“Not like this.”_

His head jerked up and he wondered where the thought had come from. As far as he knew, none of them were telepaths. Hugo was a precog, but that was the closest that they came to having someone like that in the cell.

He swallowed hard as the thought and possibility of one of the rebels having that much of a reach to influence him or any of his other cell mates. They had been trained to deal with all sorts of eventualities. Death was on that list.

So why was it bothering him this time around?

_“It’s not right.”_

He chewed on his lip and turned to look at Griezmann, who looked at him blankly.

He turned to Hugo, who was busy messaging headquarters for coordinates and follow up.

Bastian’s eyes were on the road and he only just flickered his eyes to meet Toni’s before focusing on the road again.

He mulled this over until the truck went over a suspiciously large speed bump that made Bastian swear loudly before the explosion hit, sending everyone flying through the air and into the deserted moors.

Toni went flying, the sky, the grass and the ground tumbling past his sight over and over again as he finally landed in a clump of bushes not very far from a pile of rocks that would have hurt something awful if he had landed on them. Even with all the additions, he was still human and breakable.

He laid there for a few moments in an effort to gain his bearings when the muzzle of a machine gun was shoved into his temple.

He froze for a moment, and then the training kicked inte high gear.

Toni didn’t pause to kick the legs out of his captor out from under him and scramble to his, his knife already in his hand as he got into a defensive stance. His gun had flown out of his hand and he could hear the others coming closer to overwhelm him.

He heard two on his left and one on his right.

Okay. He could do this. No problem.

He lashed out to the right, a wild swing to give himself some space as he then focused on the two on his left. He would be able to hear the other one coming and he’d be able to take him out no problem. He grinned at the thought and went to attack the smaller one with dark hair and pretty face.

Or would have if he hadn’t had two fireballs thrown at his face.

He yelped and jumped back, barely missing getting roasted. As it was, his jacket and glove got singed. He patted the smouldering fabric out and glared at the pretty boy, who was smirking at him.

He bared his teeth at the pretty boy and rushed him, getting grim satisfaction from the look of shock and then surprise when he came at him.

Toni could almost taste the victory and the blood in the air that would fly when his knife cut across the boy’s pale neck.

The pretty boy dodged and shot out a couple of fireballs that served only to enrage Toni.

He heard the other one coming at him and focused on parrying the baton swipe that made his teeth ache and his forearm crack.

He hear the crunch of dry grass to his right and he threw the knife, expecting it to fly true to its target.

It should have happened.

What he hadn’t anticipated was the dark blur that came out of nowhere and kicked him square in the chest the exact moment he had let it fly.

He only had time to moan weakly at the pain of his cracked sternum before he saw a narrow faced man with dark hair with a wistfully sad expression hovering above him.

The man gave Toni a sad smile before he touched the tips of his fingers to his temple.

Toni saw streaks of furiously bright colour go through his vision and it felt as if all of the colour that he didn’t know had been missing appear, making him gasp and double up upon himself when it hit him.

The pretty faced man came into his vision and Toni blinked as his eyes filled with tears of surprise.

“Mats? Shit. Mats, is it really you?”

Mats hummed and laughed quietly.

“It is. I’ll explain later. We gotta get all of you out of here first though.”

~*~*~*~*~

Nando cleared his throat, even though it was useless, since he had no working vocal chords.

_“Do you have a plan?”_

Iker shook his head and bit his thumbnail as he looked at Xabi, who was sitting on the padded floor, pillows and blankets around him to help him both sit up and stay calm.

Iker had requested it, since he was going to be quite invasive while trying to see if he could bring Xabi back to his rational mind. He was quite mindful of Xabi’s pregnancy and had opted to have him on the floor in case he triggered any seizures or knocked him out accidentally. He was sure that if he fucked anything up, Stevie wouldn’t hesitate to snap his neck.

Xabi watched the exchange with a vacantly amused expression, his eyes pale green and darting about rapidly as he watched the future take shape before him. The future that was far more real to him than the present reality in front of him.

Iker wasn’t quite sure what Owen had shut or rerouted in Xabi’s mind, but he had an idea. It had occurred to him on the flight over as he and Nando had conversed. It was a gamble, born out of a recall of what Sergio’s mind had responded when he had more or less forced Sergio to get them out of the Cortes.

He just needed to get into Xabi’s mind and see if it was a similar pathway and to have Nando back him up in case that it wasn’t and he was stuck in the labyrinth that no doubt would be there. And he was willing to bet that little shit probably had put some kind of traps in there as well. He was going to have to be extremely careful and trust that Nando would be able to act accordingly when the time came.

Nando raised an eyebrow at the last thought and snorted.

_“I’m only a smidge below you in ability. Of course I can do it. Question is: What the hell am I supposed to be doing?”_

Iker chewed on his lip and glanced at Xabi, who was now looking down and absentmindedly rubbing his small bump. The pup’s thoughts were bright, but abstract and strong and it made Iker a bit relieved to be able to pick them up. He looked back at Nando as the last pieces of the plan slotted together.

_“You watch my back and keep an eye out for psychic traps or bombs. I don’t know much about Owen’s handiwork, but I wouldn’t put it past him to put nasty surprises into Xabi’s mind.”_

He cleared his throat in an unconscious imitation of Nando’s action earlier and sat down in a cross legged position in front of Xabi, who was still soothing his unborn pup and humming tunelessly as he did so. Iker watched him for a few moments while sending a quiet prayer to whoever was out there that this would work. He felt Nando sink down beside him and slipped his hand into Iker’s, holding onto it tightly.

Iker looked at him and gave him a small nod. There was honestly no one else he’d rather have beside him to complete such an important task and even though it was necessary, he was thankful for Nando’s hand intertwined with his.

_“I’m going in. Please be careful.”_

He turned to Xabi and found the other Omega was looking at him with bright green eyes that were sharply lucid. The sight unnerved him, but he held it as Xabi slowly reached out to take his hand.

“I trust you.”

Was all Xabi said as he clasped Iker’s hand and they were all sucked into the mess that was his mind.

~*~*~*~

_Iker opened his eyes and found himself in what looked like an abandoned warehouse with sparks shooting from broken light fixtures and broken metal catwalks snaking in all directions. The air smelled metallic and humid and it was all he could do to tamp down the sense of wrongness that permeated the air as well._

_It was bad, but not as bad as he had been expecting._

_He amended this opinion when the catwalk he was standing on started to creak ominously._

_He kept calm though, waiting to see if Xabi himself was around to give him some sort of hint. He ignored the screech of metal, taking comfort at the silent presence of Nando standing right behind him when a door in the second story burst open._

_It was too easy, but it was the only hint that he was going to get at the time. He looked at Nando and started to walk, trusting that the rules of physics would be bent to his will, as had been the case whenever he had played with someone’s mind._

_Sure enough, they did, depositing them to that door and into a dark hallway lit only by cold blue lights like the ones in bathrooms to prevent heroin junkies from shooting up. It chilled him to the bone and he made sure to grab Nando’s arm to pull him along._

_He was afraid if Nando lagged behind, he’d stay frozen there and that was the last thing that he wanted to happen to him. Iker knew damned well that it was the prelude to a trap, so he kept on moving, his pulse thudding in his neck as they walked._

_He heard the buzz and high pitched whine, but it was Nando that shouted that sonic boom he had been engineered with that broken down the metal and detonated the bomb that threw them into another room._

_A room filled with knives that retracted and appeared at random that left him and Nando with more than a few deep cuts as they got to their feet and basically leapt out of it to another hidden room before they got cut to ribbons._

_They didn’t fall into the other room and only stayed in the small entrance way._

_That was the only thing that saved them from another bomb being set off and the room suddenly crumpling into rebar and barbed wiring._

_Iker breathed a sigh of relief and tamped down the nausea that rose in his throat at the thought of them being shredded to ribbons if they hadn’t paused and waited._

_He wasn’t sure what would happen to him in reality, but he was willing to bet that he’d be brain dead with his body following quickly._

_He heard Nando ask what was next and at his query, a doorway opened in front of them._

_“Slowly, Nando.”_

_Iker muttered as he cautiously stepped inside._

_He inhaled sharply as beads of sweat appeared around his hairline and his stomach started to hurt as well as between his legs. He moaned and doubled over as the cramps started to hit. He heard Nando doing the same behind him and promised himself that once they extracted Xabi’s mind, he would rip Owen apart with his bare hands._

_Out of all the traps to activate, triggering a heat had to be lowest of the low._

_He let his claws grow and stabbed them into his palms to use the pain to anchor himself and forced Nando to do the same. He felt a tad guilty at having done that, but they had no time to explain. They were close and he’d rather find and get Xabi out before their instincts overrode their agony. He’d make sure to apologise later._

_He pushed ahead towards an innocuous looking door that was easily yanked open. Even though his gut was burning and every step hurt, he forced himself and to some extent, Nando forward._

_They had come too far to give up now. They had to keep moving. There was no other choice._

_The last few steps that they took had them in what Iker knew was the final stage. He took the last steps and nearly collapsed to his knees as he saw Xabi Alonso, the real one, chained to a chair._

_Xabi raised his head and looked at them with the soft hazel eyes that Iker remembered from their summer camp in Bilbao the year before everything had gone to shit and he’d never seen him, or Stevie or Beckham again until now._

_“Oh Xabi.”_

_Xabi smiled. A sad smile that made Nando and him choke back sobs of sorrow._

_“The key is taped to the chair. It’s okay.  You found me. That’s all that matters.”_

_Xabi soothed them as Nando, the less affected one, did as Xabi instructed and in moments, the chains were taken off of him and Xabi stood and delicately stepped away from the chair that had been his prison all those years._

_He stepped forward, sorrow crossing his face briefly as he realised that was probably going to be the last steps he’d take. It didn’t stay on his face for long as he moved to embrace Iker and Nando._

_“Thank you.”_

_~*~*~*~*~*~_

Owain’s mouth pressed itself into a bloodless line as he set up his sniper rifle. He hated being out in the cold rooftops, but he had no choice but to follow Ramsey’s orders.

They weren’t even supposed to be on patrol, but after the German boys had gone MIA after they were supposed to take out the rebels in Lancashire, their employers had forced them out with the new kids who were raw as fuck and angry with it.

Paul had muttered something about an ambush and their employers, particularly the Ice Queen with the dark hair and face like a fox had freaked the fuck out. Owen, that bastard, had gone pale and had simply shoved them outside.

Something big was coming and it was his job to take out any threats coming in from the front.

It didn’t mean he had to like it though.

Rotating his neck and shoulders, he got down in position and kept an eye out.

_“Ready. Any fucking day now.”_

Paul snickered at that.

Let them come.

~*~*~*~*~

Beckham was the one that scented the Omega first, his eyes going gold at the fresh scent of balsam and the sweet scent of cut grass. He didn’t register the second one. But the first...It made any rational thought disappear from his mind as his Alpha instincts took over.

He dropped the gun he was cleaning and ignored Cris and Stevie as he rushed past them, his only objective being to bury himself into that scent and roll around in it while claiming and mating the Omega that smelled like that.

Sergio shouted something at him and grabbed him, but he easily yanked his arm out of Sergio’s grip and moved forward, not caring and not noticing that he was being followed by Stevie and Sergio as he went to the room that they had put Xabi, Iker, and Nando in.

He opened the door so forcefully that it was nearly ripped off its hinges and found the source of the balsam scent.

Iker’s face was shiny with sweat and his eyes were black as he stood up and stumbled towards Beckham, who caught him before he fell.

Iker said something to him, but Beckham only caught the last part.

_“-Should have said yes before. Yes.”_

He ignored Stevie’s overjoyed cries and Sergio’s howls as Nando yowled.

After all those years of fruitless searching and heartbreak Iker was in his arms.

Iker would be his mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Germans-There's more to them than meets the eye and I wanted for them to have some action before the last showdown. Toni made sense to be the one who sees how it goes down, more or less.  
> Iker, Nando, And Xabi-I wanted for this to be a bit like an Underworld type quest to find the princess, but with random trip ups.  
> Beckham-He IS getting a backstory now that he's got Iker claimed. I don't know how he always ends up being Fifth Business in my stories, but there it is.  
> Owain- Owain Fon Williams. There will be more random names popping up and I admit that I chose him since he looks like a sniper to me. I'm also intrigued that he paints. Yep.


	8. How Far You Wanna Go? How Much You Want To Risk?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All hell breaks loose and all debts are collected and paid in full.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penultimate chapter that has the showdown between most of the big players in the story. Whatever doesn't get sorted here will be sorted in the next chapter, which will be a coda of sorts. Proofed and I know there might be some stuff to fix which will be done later.  
> Title is from "Something just like this" by Coldplay and the Chainsmokers.

Beckham unsteadily made his way to the small kitchenette in the quarters and winced when the movements pulled muscles and made some of the gouges in his back open up.

Despite being near indestructible, he didn’t enjoy being shredded to bits. Even if it was in the throes of passion. He knew that Iker couldn’t help it, since he was still at the mercy of his instincts, but damn was it starting to hurt.

He groaned quietly and pushed towards the kitchenette, where he found a roll of paper towels and a bottle of Dettol. Pouring some out into a wadded up towel, he then dabbed at the cuts until he could feel the skin begin to knit back together again. He stayed stock still for a few more minutes until he was sure that he wasn’t going to rip them open again and have him go through the entire process again.

Dettol burned like a bitch and he wasn’t keen on repeating the experience.

Once that was done, he threw the towels into the rubbish, opened the fridge and pulled out a large bottle of water, downing half of it in one go. Once he didn’t feel as if his throat and mouth were a desert, he grabbed another bottle and set it on the counter as he then rummaged in the cupboards for a box of granola bars he had spied there earlier.

Once he found it, he grabbed his supplies and went back to his quarters, which had been transformed into a nest for Iker’s heat. He still was a bit taken aback at the fact that Iker had trusted him enough to start nesting without them having had much of a conversation beforehand.

It made Beckham both glad and also a bit sad that Iker really didn’t have any memories of their meeting and subsequent promise to meet up in the leagues.

Except that Iker disappeared and after a period spent privately mourning him, Beckham himself ended up tied to a stretcher and blinking at bright lights before his freedom and mind were taken from him.

Beckham firmly pushed those memories away as he went into his rooms, locking the door behind him just in case. It was true that he trusted everyone in their headquarters, but he also wasn’t naive enough to dismiss the fact that many of them were genetic experiments and spliced with either canine or feline DNA.

Most, like himself, David Silva, Stevie, and Xabi were pretty good at controlling those animal characteristics. Cris still had his bad days as did Jesus. Suarez and Claudio were a different story though, something having gone haywire when they were under. Luckily Claudio was more docile and tended to hide with Xabi, the feline traits in him being quite strong. He was always happy to help out with Xabi, which was a welcome relief, since he was like Kaka in that he had no taste or real aptitude for warfare, but made an excellent minder and quartermaster.

Suarez on the other hand, was a great soldier, but had a tendency to lose control in the heat of battle. High strung and altogether sensitive, they tended to treat him like nitroglycerin. Only Kyut could really handle him, so they tended to get paired up together on reconnaissance missions.

Kyut, bless his heart, didn’t complain, but Beckham and Stevie knew that they had to do more for them and soon, if Suarez was ever going to be able to rejoin society once they destroyed all the facilities. It would happen, Beckham and the others had no doubt about it. It was just a matter of when.

Beckham’s mind snapped out of his reveries when the sweet scent of balsam hit him smack in the face and his Alpha took over. His canines got sharper as he saw that Iker was on his hands and knees and frantically trying to get himself off. The sight of Iker fucking himself open with own fingers got Beckham immediately hard and ready to sink into that wet flesh.

Beckham had enough presence of mind to put down the food and water before shucking off the shorts he was wearing and walking into the nest.

He didn’t warn Iker as he knelt behind him and pushed his hand out of the way. His nostrils flared at the sweet scent of Iker as he grabbed Iker’s hips and positioned himself behind him. Iker moaned right before Beckham slammed into him with no preamble.

As always, whenever they were physically joined, Iker’s mind would envelop them both and it was only through practice and trial and error that he didn’t spill right away. He could _feel_ exactly what Iker felt whenever Beckham mated him. All of it was doubled and Beckham would be overwhelmed with the sensations, making him feel too much. He was sensitized as he moved against Iker, the touches, scents and sensations short-circuiting his brain.

It wasn’t until Iker shored up some of his defences that it stopped becoming all encompassing and he could control himself somewhat.

It also led to some of the roughest sex that he had ever had. He had felt bad for the bruises and the bites along Iker’s shoulders that had gotten away from him. But he wouldn’t take it back, not when he recalled Iker’s eyes gone black with pleasure and his throat hoarse with the moaning and shouting out whenever he reached his release.

He’d always made it up to Iker afterwards. Even though Iker liked it a bit rough, Beckham wouldn’t give in to him. He’d take his time, touching him with whisper soft caresses, licking him and sucking him gently, rocking slowly until they were both shuddering. Iker would fall apart in his arms and Beckham would only just be able to hold him together as he did so.

He would do that after this mating, after they had wrung each other dry and unable to tell which way was up.

It wasn’t tender. Nor was it gentle. Iker didn’t want it that way. It was simply to sate the physical hungers that their bodies demanded of them. He moved, hard and fast, his thrusts making Iker slide forward on the thin sheets that covered the rest of the bedding.

Beckham’s eyes rolled in the back of his head as the sensation of his cock moving against hot, wet flesh coursed through his body. His nerves were on fire, and he swore he could hear the thudding of Iker’s heart as they rushed towards the finish line. Iker moaned and shouted as he got fucked, his claws shredding the bedding he had clutched in his fists as he got closer and closer to his release.

He yowled when Beckham hit that spot, making bolts of lightning blaze across his vision before his hearing went and he came.

He dimly registered Beckham’s howl before they collapsed onto the nest in an ungainly heap.

It was awkward and the pain of being the one on the bottom was enough to cut the post-orgasmic bliss short. He whined low in his throat, making Beckham mutter an apology and maneuver them into a much more comfortable position.

“Better?”

Beckham muttered as he pulled Iker tightly into his arms, spooning Iker and snuffling his neck, not wanting to let him go just yet. He had been away from Iker only for a bit, but already, his body craved Iker’s and the completeness that it brought him. He didn’t let go unless Iker wanted it and instead wallowed into their combined scent of sage and balsam until the real world would pull them apart.

Already, their couplings weren’t as brutal as they had been in the beginning. Iker’s scent was moving towards spicy balsam and it was even stronger than it had been in the last cycle.

It was coming to an end and he forced himself to not think about that. Not when he had longed for this moment of intimacy and peace in his chaotic and war-filled life. He wanted this interlude badly. Just enough time to catch his breath before the war resumed.

He knew they would have to talk after Iker was finally lucid again. He had gotten consent, but until Iker was in his right mind and explicitly stated his plans, Beckham wasn’t going to presume that Iker would stay with him and be his mate.

Despite it being almost impossible, he had refrained from giving Iker a claiming bite. It had hurt and he had more silvery scar tissue criss-crossing his forearms, but it was worth it. He wouldn’t trap Iker. As much as he wanted Iker for his mate after losing him for so long, he wouldn’t dare.

He respected Iker far too much to do that.

~*~*~*~*~

Frank shoved the clip into place as he then slung the machine gun over his shoulder and adjusted it. He didn’t think that he was going to have to use it, but with Neville getting squirrelly with his broken sight, he didn’t want to take chances. They were already down a whole cell and Victoria was coldly angry. He didn’t even want to speculate how Jose was feeling at the time. No one dared to guess.

Victoria’s anger was enough to deal with, considering what kind of anger she tended to sink into. Hers was the type of anger that was steely and quiet. The type that no one could pinpoint and only feel.

She hadn’t always been so icy and robotic. Only aloof, but the years had left their marks on her. On him. On all of them, really.

He had known her from before everything had changed between them. He had become her guard and attack dog rolled into one. The recruiter and the trainer and the keeper of her secrets.

Occasionally, the lover in her inexplicably empty bed.

Something that he couldn’t understand, since she was married and had managed a brood of her own, despite being a Beta.

Why she kept coming back to him, he really didn’t want to explore.

He didn’t want to because he was afraid of the answer to questions better left unasked. Even with all that he had done and the blood on his hands, he still have some limits left. As odd as the situation was, he knew that there were certain things that would definitely crack the foundation of his bloody existence.

He shook his head and made sure to tuck in an extra pistol in the small of his back and made sure that his knife was in his boot. He also checked for extra cartridges in his vest and once that was done, he left the supply room. He was ready.

Ryan was the only one waiting, his gear already in place and his face settled in the same cooly neutral mask that signalled he was in the field. All of them had some kind of mask and that was Ryan’s. Better than Gary’s disapproving expression that always made Frank feel vaguely guilty somehow.

“Where is the new batch?”

Frank asked as they got moving, both of them all too aware that it could be the last time that they would walk the grey and green painted cinder halls. They knew the day had to come at some point. They just didn’t expect that it was going to come so _soon._

“Where are the kids?”

Ryan grimaced before giving an answer.

“They’re the second wave. Vardy’s men are handling the first wave. Neville saw Stevie and his men and Jurgen...He can’t get a clearer picture, so it wouldn’t hurt to keep all the bases covered. Totti’s shoring up the security, by the way.”

Frank nodded at that piece of information. Totti was a decent hacker, better than Del Piero, but both had fugue states that made them unpredictable to work with sometimes. It was a sheer stroke of luck when both of them were on the same page and on top of their game.

“That’s good if they decide to storm the place. But Cris isn’t like that. He’s more of the hit and run type. Gerrard’s just as predictable as a hurricane, so Totti might be onto something there. But we shouldn’t count on them. Vardy and his men might be the ones that save us.”

Frank told Ryan, who shrugged at the suggestion as they kept on moving.

He paused a bit as he was about to tell Frank something when the screaming of an incoming bomb cut him short.

Then all hell broke loose.

~*~*~*~*~

Nando watched Sergio sleep the deep sleep of a satisfied Alpha while carding his fingers through the long chestnut brown strands that had escaped the tail he had tied it in what...Two, maybe three days ago? Nando couldn’t be sure how much time had passed during the heat. He didn’t care, if he was honest.

Just once, he wanted to enjoy this small respite without having to worry what tomorrow would bring. He knew that there was a war waiting for them out there and he didn’t want for his last days to be miserable. He knew Iker felt the same way and he was glad that Iker too, was getting a bit of a breather with someone he could possibly have a future with if they survived the present.

Although he missed his friend and wished that Sergio had also claimed him, he was relieved that Beckham was doing his best by Iker.

If the fuzzy, happy, and somewhat tangled tendrils of thought that Iker would send him whenever he prodded at his oldest friend were anything to go by, then yes. He was.

It had gone far better than either of them had planned or hoped for after they had made the decision to hold onto Sergio for dear life after they had seen him break into the facility. They wanted him, of course.

But they also wanted freedom as well and a chance at the life that had been stolen from them.

Now that they were on the cusp of having that fulfilled, Nando could give into the less practical aspects of enjoying the treasure that was Sergio Ramos. He knew that Sergio had been hurt and hadn’t always been a bounty hunter for hire. He was well aware of all the hurt and disillusionment that he was hiding behind the walls he had built in the innermost part of his mind and soul.

He wouldn’t touch those walls though. Not yet.

The heat trap had put a wrench in his and Iker’s plans regarding intimacy with Sergio. He hadn’t really thought about what would happen later, once his heat broke. Only that he and Sergio would be mated and out of the clutches of the facility and the endless rounds of surgery, recovery, and testing.

After that…

Nando shut off those thoughts. There was no point in speculating into the future until he talked to Mesut and the other precogs.

Until then, he’d focus on this strange man who hid a world of hurt, yet had gone back to help two strangers and had accepted being claimed without any fuss at all.

He was a rare man indeed.

Especially since Nando knew that neither he nor Iker had done anything to influence _that_ pivotal decision.

~*~*~*~*

Jurgen and Mats set the brush on fire around the facility, preventing Owain from getting a clear shot through the thick smoke that the dry grass sent up in the air. He wiped the sweat collecting around his hairline and upper lip and swore softly in Welsh, making him freeze.

Since when did he know Welsh?

A cold frisson hit him at the realisation. As far as he was aware, he’d never been anywhere near Wales. He had been stationed in the North and that was all he was. He even spoke as a Northerner. So why the hell did he know Welsh?

He swallowed and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He needed to snipe any of those rebels before they got in and fucked up the facility. They had been briefed on this. This was what he was hired for. He knew this.

Closing his eyes briefly, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the action helping to calm down his erratic heartbeat. He did this a few times until he was sure that he had his emotions under control and put his finger back on the trigger and squinted through the viewfinder.

He kept watch for what felt like an eternity until he saw a figure sneaking through the blindspot of the security system.

He took a deep breath and pressed the trigger.

The figure though, must have been one of the precogs, since he bounced out of the way one split second before the bullet fired, making Owain snarl in anger at having missed.

He pushed the stock forward and backward, ignoring the casing as it flew by and landed with a muted ping on the roof he was camped out in.

He set himself up again and focused on sniping the figure.

He saw another coming at eleven o’clock and he took a breath in preparation to shoot.

_“You won’t hit him, you know.”_

Owain hears before the butt of the gun crashes down on his skull and he’s out.

~*~*~*~*~

Ryan wiped the blood away from his eyes, his lips curled into a snarl as he threw down the jammed machine gun and pulled the gun out from the small of his back. He aimed at Beckham, who only raised an eyebrow at the sight of the weapon.

They had been fighting for half an hour and Ryan was getting frustrated at the fact that Beckham simply would. Not. Stay. Down.

No matter how hard he hit or fast he moved, the son of a bitch took it and simply moved faster and hit harder.

He knew he would have to end the fight sooner, rather than later and had tried to cut him to ribbons with the machine gun.

The gun had failed him and he was down to his last weapon.

Do or die.

“What makes you think that’s going to stop me when a machine gun couldn’t?”

Beckham quipped, making Ryan go incandescent with rage and shoot Beckham, who was a hair too late to completely dodge the bullet and got grazed by it.

“Did a good job so far.”

Ryan smirked, firing again. This time, he got Beckham in the leg, making him groan and fall to one knee.

“Lucky shot.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. Typical Beckham.

He was smart enough to know that any distraction would be fatal and didn’t reply to the horribly lame joke. Beckham needed to be dead before the others overran the facility and found all of the plans. He was the only one that knew the place well enough to do so and he wasn’t about to let him do it.

He aimed again, but Beckham was ready this time. In one smooth movement, he pulled out his own gun and fired twice.

Ryan gasped out something right before he hit the floor.

_“Did you get that?”_

Beckham asked as he waited for the bullet to get rejected by his body. Regeneration was fantastic, but it sure hurt like a motherfucker when it was happening.

_“All of it. Get going to the main office. All you’ve been waiting for is there.”_

Antoine’s voice with it’s staccato sharpening on the consonants disappeared from his head.

The bullet clanked onto the cement and Beckham stood up.

_“Got it. Make sure no one bothers us.”_

Antoine laughed.

_“Can’t make promises. The grunts never follow directions.”_

Antoine mused before he fell quiet again.

Very well, Beckham thought, getting to his feet.

Guess he’d have to make do.

~*~*~*~*~

Owen smirked at the fear shining in the wide open eyes of the little German brat Cris doted on.

Oh he was going to enjoy burning the heart out of Cris like he had done to Gerrard. And he would do it slowly to savour the agony that would come after.

He had already incapacitated the German brat by shooting out his legs from under him and breaking the joints, leaving the kid lying there and trying to crawl backwards and away from Owen. He wouldn’t get very far and the sadist in him relished the fear and frantic efforts of the child to get away from him.

Oh how he would enjoy tearing him apart and leaving him on the doorstep of death for Cris to find.

If only he had enough time to see the moment that his heart broke like he had done with Stevie.

He still relished that memory and adding Cris’ despair to it would make it even sweeter.

The kid gasped when hands shot out of nowhere and pulled him out of sight.

“Miss me, you son of a bitch?”

Owen’s amusement vanished at the sight of Stevie and the gun aimed at his chest.

“The fuck-”

He didn’t have time to finish his query when Stevie fired three times in rapid succession, making Owen jerk back and finally collapse at Stevie’s feet.

Blood trickled out of his mouth and his breathing was wet as he bled out onto the ground.

He was dying and all he could do was watch as Stevie knelt down beside him.

_“Give the devil my regards, Owen, you fucked up Son of a bitch.”_

Owen’s eyes widened and he gasped out in shock at hearing Alonso’s lucid words come through Gerrard.

_“Rest in hell, you fucker.”_

That was the last thing he heard before his heart stuttered to a halt.

~*~*~*~*~

Frank looked at her as he wrapped up his sliced up hand with some bandages and gauze. The angry little Spanish bastard had nearly mangled him before he could get away. It wasn’t something he was proud of, but he knew he wouldn’t win.

So he had shot out the joints of the angry little bastard’s leg and noped out of there to the offices, where Victoria was ashen faced and waiting.

Owen was gone.

Ryan too.

Vardy’s men had been captured. The New Cell hadn’t even gotten out of the gate before they were incapacitated and their programming over-written by that little Brazilian bastard and Griezmann. The hired guns had fled the moment that they had seen what the rebels and the Germans could do.

It had only taken two demonstrations of Klopp and his shadow of what their power was to convince them that it was pointless to fight.

So they had fled and left the facility open for all of them to walk in and pillage it.

Victoria knew it was over, just like Frank himself did.

It wouldn’t be-

Beckham opened the doors to the office and stepped in.

Both Frank and Victoria inhaled sharply in shock at seeing him.

He hadn’t changed at all.

“Hello Frank. Hello Victoria. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

The same voice. The same pleasant manner despite being dirty, bloodied and dressed in ripped up BDU’s.

He looked like what he was: An avenging angel hell bent on retribution.

“Not long enough!”

Victoria hissed out sharply, raising the gun Frank hadn’t even seen her palm. It was big and would hurt when fired.

Beckham tilted his head and grinned.

“It would be for you. After all, you were the one that sold me out. No one likes to see a failed investment.”

Victoria’s eyes widened and her hand shook as she squeezed the trigger.

The shot went wide and Beckham calmly walked up to her, prompting Frank into action.

Frank only had time to take a couple of steps toward Victoria before the sniper’s bullet got him, making him spin and fall gracelessly to the ground in front of Beckham’s and Victoria’s feet.

Victoria gasped and backed away from Beckham, but he followed. Slowly and relentlessly and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he’d never stop.

Just like her own guilt at having had sold him out.

She couldn’t bear it.

Not when she knew he’d hunt her down no matter where she went.

He’d find her family and kill them all. She had done him a grievous wrong and knew he’d not rest until everything she owned and worked for had turned to ash.

She saw the faces of her family and she knew that there was only one way out.

Beckham saw it in her eyes and reached out to stop her.

But once again, she was faster than him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beckham- I had his plotline in my head the moment that I introduced "Her" into the story. His story would come full circle once he'd face her. Just like with Stevie facing off with Owen in the last bit.  
> Ryan, Frank, Neville, Owen-I'm a Liverpool fan and I needed villains. Yep.  
> Nando-I know he's a bit off in this, but he's still in survival mode and dealing with trauma of being rescued and having his only support torn from him. So if he's a bit scheming, that's why.  
> Stevie and Xabi-Yeah, Xabi was more or less riding along when Stevie and Owen met. And Owen was going to do the same thing to Mesut that he had done to Xabi.


	9. Where Do We Begin? The Rubble or Our Sins?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath of the battle and several conversations that are sort of had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of one of the oddest side-quest stories that I have written. There might be a coda to this, I don't know. I had fun writing it and adding new faces to my old roster of characters. Thank you all who followed this and I hope you enjoyed the ride.  
> Title is from Bastille's "Pompeii" and it has been proofed, but mistakes appear, they will be fixed later.

Cris made his way through the throngs of rescue workers and cells, his one concern being finding Mesut and Kaka.

He hadn’t seen them with the first wave that showed up with the half dazed and confused soldiers and modified cells that had been brought into the makeshift camp hospital that they had set up in the Lancashire headquarters. Although he was sure that they were fine, he still had the Alpha’s frantic need to make sure that his Omegas were healthy and well.

Until he did get that visual and physical assurance, he would continue to look for them. Especially since Kaka was needed to override the suggestions that Owen and the Neville psychic had planted into the new recruits. Iker had done his best, but one of the Germans had lashed out and broken his arm, so it had only been up to Kaka and Nando to pick up the slack. Beckham had been fit to be tied as he had gone forth on his own quest to get even with the Nevilles and Her.

Cris never knew her name, but he knew that she had more than just a hand in Beckham’s fate. She had been the one that had turned him into an ice king driven only for his lust to get even with the ones that betrayed and had destroyed who he could have been.

Cris had been vaguely worried that Beckham would go into a suicide run in order to accomplish that. He had been until he had seen Beckham and Iker before they had gone off to do their respective duties. He hadn’t heard what had been said between them, only the look of tenderness that was exchanged gave Cris a bit of hope that Beckham wasn’t going to go out in a blaze of glory.

“Cris? Oh Jesus! Are you alright, man? You’re covered in blood!”

His mind snapped back to the present when he ran into Klopp, who despite looking a bit worse for the wear, was more or less fine.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. No. I’m okay. It’s not my blood. Don’t worry about me. I’m more worried about Kaka and Mes-”

Klopp’s concerned expression cleared up once he heard the explanation for Cris’ bloody BDU’s.

“They’re over there with Villa and Hendo. Khedira, Silva,and Mats are fixing their prosthetics.”

Cris’ face went pale when he heard that, making Klopp swear in German at his gaffe.

“They weren’t injured. Owen shot out the knee joints of Mesut’s legs after breaking them. Gerrard got him before he could do anything to him. He’s safe. Just shook up.”

Cris’ face got its colour back at those news and he clapped a hand on the German’s shoulder in silent thanks before heading out to the garage where the impromptu repair shop had been set up.

He entered and saw the scene exactly as Klopp had described it: Khedira, Silva, and Mats were checking all of the prosthetics and making sure that they were in working order. Hendo was done and was standing with Adam Lallana, both holding onto each other while Adam rubbed slow circles in Hendo’s back. He still looked slightly shell-shocked, but whatever Adam was doing was working, since his face was looking less ashen the more they stood there.

He gave them a nod as he walked past them and made a mental note to see what Adam’s abilities were. He suspected that he was a telepath like Iker and he didn’t want him out in the normal populace with that kind of power. Not until he had some sort of training at least.

He passed by Silva, who nodded at him as he received a recently soldered part from Navas, who only looked up from the fine soldering work on the bench in front of him. He gave Cris a half hearted wave with his prosthetic hand and got back to work again. Cris nodded at him before he moved past until he finally found Mesut sitting on a gurney, curled up into Kaka’s side as they waited for his right leg to be repaired.

He paused when he saw Mesut’s parchment pale face and the small tremors going through his body while Kaka murmured something to him in Portuguese. Kaka’s fingers combed through Mesut’s messy hair and Cris could feel the slight residue to a telepathic suggestion on the back of his throat.

He knew that Kaka didn’t use his power often and that clearly there was a reason as to why he was doing it at that moment.

“Cris!”

Both Kaka and Mesut exclaimed with equal parts relief and equal parts desperation.

A desperation he knew was born out of their need for their Alpha to comfort them.

“I’m here. I’m here. You’re okay.”

He crooned as he wrapped his arms around them, pulling them into a tight hug and scenting them properly with his sea salt and sunshine scent. Once that scent had been properly spread to his Omegas did he talk to them.

“You both alright?”

Kaka nodded. Mesut chewed on his bottom lip before he finally nodded slowly.

“Just waiting for my leg to get fixed up. Owen did a number on it.”

Mesut replied softly. Kaka pressed a kiss to his temple at that.

Cris found himself growling at the mention of Owen. He didn’t realise that he had been doing it until Mesut himself reached out and put his hand on Cris’ face.

“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter. Jesus and Silva are fixing my leg. It’s going to be fine.”

Cris swallowed back the sharp retort, since he felt slightly embarrassed at having to be in the position to need the comfort of his Omegas when it was his job as an Alpha to do that for them.

“Are you?”

Mesut swallowed hard, his eyes moving back and forth rapidly before he finally nodded.

“He’s dead. He’s not going to be hurting anyone ever again.”

Cris’ eyes widened at that.

“Did Stevie-”

Kaka and Mesut nodded.

“He’s the one that saved me. Dunno how he knew I needed help. I’m just glad he was there.”

Cris looked at Kaka.

_“Xabi was with him. Basically took over him. WIth Stevie’s permission of course.”_

Cris blinked at that new information.

_“I can see why Owen neutralised him all those years ago. He’s probably on par with Iker. Maybe even more so. Won’t know until he gets tested.”_

Cris nodded. That was another thing for later. Right now, all he cared about were his Omegas.

Kaka smiled softly at that and moved closer so that he could plant a kiss on his forehead as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Xabi fingers flew over the keyboard as he made the last of the arrangements and saved the files. He had already added the new names to the database and had made all of the notes for testing and the forms had been printed in case they wanted to stay or be civilians instead.

He had had Wee Joe Allen and Griezman’s help to finish it all within his own timeframe. Xabi didn’t have to do so much work, but it helped him from feeling like a useless burden as he had been all those years. Even though the others hadn’t ever said that they thought of him that way, _he_ felt like he had been.

Now that he had his logical mind back, he was determined to be able to pay back all of the resources that had been spent upon him. It wasn’t pride, but rather a thank you for all that Stevie and the others had done for him. Especially Stevie.

At the thought of his Alpha, Xabi pulled his hands away from the keyboard once the saving and backups were finished and turned his wheelchair around to face the window. He wheeled himself closer to the window and looked out, hoping to catch a sight of Stevie.

They hadn’t seen each other since Iker and Nando had managed to brave the tangle that his now orderly mind was again. He wasn’t worried about Stevie. He could feel his presence in the back of his mind. Just like the presence of their child. Both were soft warm lights that anchored him whenever he felt himself daydreaming and slipping away slightly.

Stevie was fine. Stevie had allowed him to get revenge for what had been done to him.

_“Never realised how loud you could be, Love.”_

Xabi felt his cheeks heat up when he heard Stevie’s amused voice in his mind.

The telepathy had been an unexpected side-effect of Iker and Nando’s work. Xabi found that it was handy, since he had slipped Stevie vital information during the last big battle. He knew that if he hadn’t been riding around in Stevie’s mind, Mesut would have been destroyed by Owen.

_“Sorry. I’m still working out the kinks in this. Any chance of you coming home soon?”_

Stevie made a noise of agreement.

_“Twenty minutes, tops. Beckham’s not in any shape to be alone and Iker’s just getting that arm of his checked over. Bastian got a bit spooked and broke it when Iker was working on him.”_

Xabi frowned at those news. He had been sure he’d seen all of the outcomes. Beckham had always been victorious. The mechanics varied, but Beckham always came out the winner. So why was he so messed up?

_“She died by her own hand. In front of him. I’ll explain in a few minutes. Iker’s here. Love you, Xabee.”_

~*~*~*~*~

Iker’s arm ached, the pain being concentrated on the site of the break.

He didn’t let any of it show as he walked beside Beckham as they headed back to their quarters, with Beckham carrying a bottle of strong Irish whiskey with him. He hadn't bothered with glasses, knowing full well he needed to get utterly wrecked in order to be able to deal with what had just happened.

Iker didn’t think it boded well that was what he was choosing to do, but he respected the fact that Beckham needed something to take the edge of and begin processing the fucked up situation that Iker had only caught the tail end of.

He didn’t know what had happened before he had found Beckham. Only that he had found his Alpha standing over the corpses of two people he had known in the past. Two people he had let in and loved. And in turn, had repaid it with treachery and deception.

He had seen their faces when Beckham had slept and Iker himself had had those small moments of lucidity during the punishing stretch of his heat. He had seen the memories that Beckham had forced down so deeply that even he had forgotten them.

Iker had tasted the loss and the agony of knowing his life was destroyed by the person he had thought he could trust after losing his true love. Iker had also felt Beckham’s heartbreak when Iker had appeared on the scene and it had become obvious that _she_ had been the one who had put the machinations in place to get him in her path and then to sell him down river.

Knowing all of that had made it easier to understand why Beckham had left the way he had after Iker had been injured by a remorseful Bastian.

He had seen the way that Xabi and Stevie had looked the moment after they had neutralised Owen. Their demons had been put to rest, but it felt like Beckham’s own ghosts hadn’t been exorcised just then. Maybe they would be once the bottle was finished and the hangover suffered through.

_“Just let him go through it, Iker. All Englishmen need to have a piss up to get themselves over shite. I’ve seen it with Stevie. Don’t worry. Just make sure that he doesn’t literally drown and he’ll be fine.”_

Xabi muttered into his mind. Iker smirked. Stevie had arrived at home, it seemed.

_“Gotcha. If I need help, I’ll let you know. Nando’s AWOL for a bit as is Kaka. Trust me on this.”_

Iker heard Xabi’s low laugh echo in his mind before Beckham turned to look at him with red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes.

Without his realising, they had arrived at their quarters and Beckham had opened the door to let them into the room.

“You don’t have to stay with me. I’m afraid I probably won’t be pleasant company tonight.”

Iker’s mouth thinned and his eyes narrowed at the self-deprecating comment.

“I want to. Besides, even if you weren’t my Alpha, I’d not leave you alone.”

Beckham smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’m not though. Not really. I didn’t mark you. I couldn’t trap you like that. Not when you had been trapped all those years before.”

Iker tilted his head to the side to look at him. He had been aware that Beckham hadn’t marked him during the heat. It had happened before, when he had spent time with a Beta who had agreed that mating wasn’t what they were looking for either. He hadn’t been annoyed or puzzled at Beckham not marking him during the heat. He figured that if there was a chance that they could both possibly die, it would just be unnecessary heartache for the both of them.

“You haven’t rejected me and I consider you mine. As for the rest, we’ll deal with the semantics at a better time. Right now isn’t that and I can tell you that I’m not going to go.”

Beckham’s expression cracked and he wiped his face with his sleeve before composing himself.

“I just don’t know if I can handle you seeing me this way.”

Iker shook his head and stepped straight into Beckham’s space until their chests were touching.

“I won’t think any less of you for needing to mourn. You need to do this. I know. Let’s start.”

Beckham’s eyes stayed suspiciously glassy and he laughed wetly as he led the way into their quarters.

“Thank you. Here.”

He whispered as he tried to press the bottle onto Iker, who shook his head and gently pushed it back into Beckham’s direction.

“Are you taking pain killers? I’m so so-”

He stopped talking abruptly when he saw Iker shake his head and turn red.

The sorrow was pushed away when he felt Iker open up the connection between them and let him sense the small consciousness that was developing inside of him.

_“Oh.”_

Iker nodded and Beckham swallowed hard as he put the bottle down, the past suddenly unimportant to bring into this present. It still hurt, but it was the ache of finally being empty from the agony that had been in place in his life for far longer than it should have been. There was pain there, yet it wasn’t the kind that throbbed and hurt fiercely to the point of excluding anything else.

No. This was the pain of realising that a chapter in his life was closed.

And he was free.

Despite it not being by his hand, he was free of everything: Of his past. Of her shadow. Of the grief that losing Iker the first time had brought him. It wasn’t his burden to carry any longer.

Nor did he want to be Iker’s. Nor did he want to pass it down to the life that would be with them in six months.

Wordlessly, he pulled Iker into an embrace. Iker bared his neck to his Alpha, who properly scented him before he bit down on the gland he had avoided earlier that week.

The tears came again, but this time, they weren’t of sorrow.

Rather, they were of happiness and joy.

~*~*~*~*~

Sergio looked at Nando as his Omega mate bandaged up the bullet wound on his arm. He hadn’t meant to get careless, but that Welsh fucker (Who was actually quite a nice Omega that one of the other Welsh Alphas had immediately cozied up to once they had sense knocked into them by Kaka and Nando) had gotten him when he was scouting the area out.

It was a temporary measure, since his arm was broken from the bullet and although Bale was a good field medic, he still needed more treatment.

_“I was worried when Gareth brought you in. Don’t ever scare me like that again, Ramos! Christ! What the hell were you thinking?”_

Sergio winced at Nando’s mental voice, which sounded even worse since it was heavy with worry.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know we had a sniper on my tail! Christ! It’s not like I wanted to get shot! A broken arm means no work for at least three months!”

_“As if you need it! Cris said he’d take care of everything now that things have been sorted out not just here, but in Spain. We can go home and start our den.”_

Sergio’s eyes widened at that, even though he knew that it was to happen. Not only had he taken Nando in heat, he had marked him up. Nando’s scent too, had sweetened to something almost cloying in the meantime. Yet the idea of building a den still floored him.

_“Surprise?”_

Sergio laughed, the pain from his arm lessening at the absurdity of the situation.

“That’s an understatement. But a good one, nonetheless.”

Nando paused the bandaging and looked at Sergio to determine whether it really was one. He wasn’t as good as parsing out motives like Iker was, but he was decent enough to know when someone was lying to him.

“You’re as paranoid as I am.”

Sergio said softly, breaking Nando’s concentration and making him blush at being caught out.

_“Can you blame me? I’ve spent how many years as an experiment and we didn’t exactly have the proper mateship and courting. We’ve known each other for less than a month and we’re having a pup together. Forgive me if I’m not as optimistic as I should be.”_

Sergio laughed again at the tartness in Nando’s voice.

“Come here.”

He pulled Nando’s stiff body closer with his uninjured arm and kissed his cheekbone, his jaw, his mouth, any place he could easily reach.

Nando was stiff at first, unsure whether he should enjoy the kisses, but after Sergio continued the featherlight touches without stopping, he felt himself giving in and melting against him.

“I know that it isn’t the best circumstances how things are moving. I know that I wasn’t as welcoming or open to the idea of the two of you being in my life. I didn’t want any of this cloak and dagger shite, but it happened and I’m not sorry to have helped. I’m not sorry to have met _you._ ”

He tucked two fingers under Nando’s jaw and tilted it up so that Nando could see that he was dead serious.

“I want to try and make this work. I want to do it with you. If you don’t want it, just say the word and I’ll-”

Nando made an odd snarling sound at that before he captured Sergio’s lips in a brutal, but passionate kiss.

_“Never in a million years, Ramos. Never.”_

Sergio’s low, triumphant laugh was probably the best sound that Nando had heard all night.

_“Good, cause I’m never letting you go. Ever.”_

END

 


End file.
